Details
Approaching the Buddha 3
Teachers:
Collection:
- Sadhanas and Prayers
Location:
- Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling
Translator:
- Heidi Koppl
Length:
- Full Length Session
Features:
- Subtitles ,
- Transcripts
Excerpt
Lama Tenzin Sangpo teaches that Dharma practice must begin with pure motivation and mindful preparation, transforming even physical rituals like prostrations into powerful meditation that purifies and readies the mind. He stresses the essential roles of faith, devotion, and proper setup, ensuring that the practitioner’s inner and outer environment align for genuine spiritual progress.
Description
Lama Tenzin Sangpo emphasizes that true Dharma practice must be rooted in the mind, not just in external actions of body and speech, underscoring that motivation is the critical cause while physical practices are supportive conditions. He explains the difference between faith and devotion, noting that while faith is reasoned and essential for starting the practice of Buddha Shakyamuni, devotion—especially in Vajrayana—is beyond reasoning and must be deeply felt. Lama provides detailed guidance on preparing for meditation, including the arrangement of offerings and the deep purpose of prostrations, which purify obscurations and transform ordinary perception into sacred outlook. He clarifies how prostrations and preliminary rituals not only dispel obstacles but also cultivate a calm, focused mind that is ready for deeper meditation. Finally, he reminds practitioners that integrating these practices sincerely, with bodhicitta and vivid visualization, allows the Dharma to transform us rather than becoming a mere ritual.
Related Course Info
- A Treasury of Blessings – The Liturgy of Shakyamuni A complete guide to practicing A Treasury of Blessings, featuring a chanted sadhana with Tibetan and English subtitles, introductory teachings by Khenpo Pema Namgyal, and a full series of in-depth teachings by Lama Tenzin Sangpo, culminating in a profound session with Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche on the inseparability of compassion and emptiness.
Video
Audio
01:22:17
Today, Rinpoche taught
explicitly how important it is
for all of us to give rise
to a proper motivation.
And especially when it comes to practicing the Dharma, it's important that we understand that the Dharma has to be practiced with our mind.
Where this is the case it is so often, so often people forget that the Dharma has to be practiced with one's mind. And the belief that Dharma practice actually comes down to doing something with your body and your speech. And when forgetting about that, then it seems like that we do practice the Dharma because we are doing something, but nevertheless there is no kind of improvement when it comes to our mind. We do not progress in any way.
So first of all it's important to understand, any type of movement or actions that we do with our body and speech are conditions. They are not the cause. The cause for Dharma practice is the mind.
Just take the example of putting a rice... you want that the rice plant grows forth, but you don't really plant the rice seed. So if there is no seed in the ground then also nothing will grow from it, isn't it? Because the cause is absent. It's so easy to put a lot of water and fertilizer and whatever on that piece of earth, nothing will grow from it because there is no seed present.
Let us take another example. Let us look at it from another perspective. Imagine that there is a seed present, but you lack the conditions. That is to say you don't put any fertilizer, there is no moisture, no water. The seed may grow into a plant, but it will take a long time. So the conditions, that is to say the fertilizer, the moisture and so forth are all really important. In this way the physical and the verbal actions when practicing the Dharma are also really important.
So when it comes to the practice of the secret Mantrayāna, we have to understand that there are so many methods, so many skill full means and they are all good conditions. They are all conditions that we need. So for instance, the practice of the inner subtle body of learning how to utilize the key points of your inner nadis, the channels, the wind, the essences, the bindus. All of that is extremely important and there are extremely good conditions and skillful methods. If you practice them with the cause, that is to say while having devotion, compassion and renunciation in your mind while developing those qualities, you will by combining them together quickly reach the result of enlightenment.
So therefore the Buddha pointed out that we have to understand that when it comes to virtuous actions and negative actions, non-virtuous actions, that they are not just mere reflections. In fact, whether or not something is virtuous or non-virtuous comes about based on our motivation.
So we all know what it means to have a negative motivation, isn't it? That is something that is a state of mind that is intoxicated by negative emotions, we are influenced by negative emotions. And when such a negative state of mind overwhelms us, what we naturally do is inflict harm on others. And that is negative, that is unwholesome or non-virtuous.
For instance, or sometimes it may be the case that some actions that we train or that we engage in are actually beneficial for some time, but in the end they cause a lot of suffering. So while they are in the outset or in the beginning beneficial, they nevertheless become non-virtuous, they cause suffering, so therefore they are to be abandoned.
So what is a positive, a virtuous motivation? It is something that helps others, something that is beneficial, not only ultimately but also on a temporary level, it is always good, it is always beneficial for others. That's a positive state of mind, something that is beneficial.
So it's so important that we always take a good look at ourselves and examine our motivation.
It may be the case that five minutes ago we had such a positive, such a virtuous motivation, but then five minutes passed and then positive motivation also has gone, it has disappeared.
Why is that? It is simply because we have not yet abandoned negative emotions.
So this subtle latent negative emotions are constantly present in our mind and therefore they can manifest and arise any moment as gross, very strong negative emotions.
Also we always encounter conditions or we encounter objects that really stimulate our negative emotions.
Also our mind is influenced by ignorance, stupidity, and this is precisely the reason for why we have so many mistaken beliefs. And due to these mistaken beliefs, when we meet with certain conditions, then negative emotions, negative and un-virtuous mental states arise in our mind. And this is precisely the reason for why Rinpoche always encourages us to be really conscientious and careful.
There is a saying, a Tibetan saying that goes the following, better than just reciting mantras while having all kinds of thoughts, virtuous or non-virtuous. It is better to sing a song with a virtuous state of mind.
So we all have the intention, isn't it, to practice the Dharma. We want to do it really well, genuinely. That's our intention. When we have that intention, because of our negative habitual patterns, we often don't follow through. It doesn't really work out. We forget what we really wanted to do. And although we started out engaging in some virtuous actions in the end, they don't turn out so well. So therefore it's so important that we again and again give rise to proper motivation. Be really careful about it. Look within yourself and examine your motivation. So Rinpoche stressed precisely this point in his teachings today. So when summarizing his teachings, this is precisely the point to which everything comes down to. Give rise and make sure that you always give rise to a pure motivation.
The term that we translate as motivation in Tibetan is kun long, and kun means many.
That refers to that there are just so many thoughts that can appear in our mind that we can think.
And long means to arise, to manifest. And there's...
And there's one among all those mental states and thoughts that we select.
So which one is that state of mind? Which one do we select? It is the precious attitude of bodhicitta.
So what does this practically really mean? It means that when we do a meditation session, when we meditate, it's so important that first of all we give rise to a pure motivation. That we do it, we want to meditate for the welfare of all sentient beings, to help other sentient beings.
So yesterday we received some explanations of Mipham Rinpoche's commentary on the Treasury of Blessings. And in his teachings he explains very clearly that we need to, before we start out to practice the yoga of Buddha Shakyamuni, the practice of Buddha Shakyamuni, that we need to give rise to a faith that knows its own reason. And with that type of faith then we recollect the enlightened body, the enlightened speech and the enlightened mind of the Buddha. If we do that, our practice will become very successful (*successful).
When we talk about faith, it's really important that, that faith is based on a reason. We know why we have faith.
And here it's good to differentiate faith from devotion. Devotion is a quality that we need to give rise in the teachings of the secret Mantrayāna. And devotion is not to be examined, you don't need to have a reason for why you have devotion. It's just you need to feel devotion, you need to give rise to pure perception. And that is the extraordinary quality of the secret Mantrayāna that we need to train in.
So Mipham Rinpoche explains that how do we develop this type of faith when we need to first of all understand the qualities of the Buddha.
So in this world, a Buddha has appeared and this Buddha is known as Buddha Shakyamuni.
So did the Buddha just appear out of the blue? No. There are certain causes and conditions that made the Buddha appear, that made the Buddha Shakyamuni awaken to supreme and perfect enlightenment. The causes and conditions that led to it are the accumulations of merit that he has gathered in his previous lives and the purification of his defilement’s that he trained in his past lives.
So the Buddha gave rise to the attitude of enlightenment to bodhicitta countless eons ago. And we have to understand that the Buddha was somebody who followed through. That is to say he made a resolve, he made a commitment and really embodied that very commitment. It's not like how we do it, isn't it? We all have that sincere wish, we make it again and again, give rise to the motivation. I want to establish each and every single sentient being in a state of enlightenment. I really want to help everybody. I want to help all sentient beings. But then when it comes to actually doing something for other sentient beings, we don't have any time and we don't really help them. So the Buddha was very different. The Buddha did not do that. The Buddha actually when giving rise to the attitude of enlightenment, he followed through. That is to say he actually really helped others.
If we have to reduce our sleeping time for three hours, meaning sleep three hours less every night, it's too much for us, no? We can't... That's too great hardship for us.
So the Buddhas are very different than us. Just to help a single sentient being who has been reborn in hell, the Buddha will abide in hell. Just for a single sentient being in order to help them the Buddha will abide in hell for many eons.
So just recall that. What kind of attitude, what kind of courage and fortitude a Buddha must have. No?
So the Buddha is somebody who has perfected all the enlightened activities. For incalculable eons he has purified his obscurations and has gathered accumulations and has during all those lifetimes perfected his aspiration prayers, always made aspiration prayers for the welfare of all sentient beings and has in this way brought countless sentient beings to maturation, has ripened their mind stream and finally also has through these trainings and these practices manifested many pure Buddha fields.
Therefore he has attained the great wisdom body that is free from all stains.
For those sentient beings who had no protector, he became the protector. For those sentient beings who needed a savior, he became the savior.
For those who elect refuge, he became the object of refuge.
He is the great unacquainted friend.
So what does it mean? Usually when we become friends we need to acquaint ourselves with each other, get to know each other, befriend each other, but the Buddha becomes our friend without having to befriend him.
For his own benefit he has attained dharmakāya, and dharmakāya is endowed with stainless, with undefiled qualities. For instance the ten powers and the four types of fearlessness.
An example for all these undefiled qualities the Buddha possesses is the ocean.
The Buddha is endowed with great wisdom that knows the three times at the same time in a single moment.
And with his enlightened speech that is endowed with the sixty aspects of melodious speech, he is able to teach the Dharma to all sentient beings.
So we can't really teach the birds, don't we? But the Buddha is able to teach the dharma to the birds.
The Buddha's enlightened form is endowed with the thirty two major marks and the eighty minor marks. So therefore when we merely see the Buddha's enlightened form something happens in our mind. It's a... What happens is that we become liberated by merely seeing the Buddha's form.
It is said if we were to talk about the qualities, the enlightened qualities of a single hair of the Buddha, bodily hair of the Buddha, or a single light ray that streams forth from the Buddha's body. If one were to explain the countless qualities, for many eons, there would be even this long time, the time would be not sufficient, it would take longer time to explain those amazing qualities.
So now imagine, if we recall the Buddha's form, see the Buddha's form, if we hear the Buddha's speech, recall the Buddha's enlightened qualities, make offerings to the Buddha, with faith and devotion, it is needless to mention that these types of recollections and activities, actions will bring about boundless benefits.
Even if we were to see only a thangka of the Buddha, see the statue of the Buddha, hear the Buddha's name, that in itself, it says, will become the cause for us to become enlightened in the future.
So if we encounter the Buddha in this way, either seeing the Buddha's form or hearing the Buddha's name, then we will not fall into the three lower realms, if we don't practice, even if we don't practice, we won't fall into the three lower realms. Samsara will come to an end, through this very condition.
Then, Mipham, he quotes some citations from the sūtra of the white lotus sūtra of compassion,
So to focus or visualize the Buddha and with a focus of mind and toss a flower into the air. Or that we um...
Or that you give rise to a really, a mind filled with faith towards the Buddha.
So the Buddha himself taught that if we form a connection with the Buddha in this way, focusing on him, tossing a flower, or just giving rise to faith when encountering the Buddha, even if an animal does so, it will become enlightened, it will a soon pass into, it will reach nirvana.
So why are we talking about this? The reason is that the Treasury of Blessing is a practice of Buddha Shakyamuni, is a recollection of the Buddha's qualities.
So the countless Arhats and Bodhisattvas on this planet,
if we would make offerings to them, then compared to that, it would be much more meritorious and beneficial to merely encounter the Buddha and feel faith folding our hands in front of our heart, and feel faith towards the Buddha.
So why is this? Why is it beneficial to give rise to faith towards the Buddha? Well, the Buddha is endowed with inconceivable qualities, the inconceivable qualities of enlightenment, of loving-kindness, compassion, enlightened activity, enlightened wisdom. And if we feel faith towards the Buddha's enlightened qualities, towards the Buddha, Then, um... towards something that is inconceivable in nature, the result that we receive from that is also, becomes inconceivable.
So as was mentioned before, if we merely hear the Buddha's name, we will not fall into the lower realms. We will sooner or later become enlightened, reach nirvana.
So in order to illustrate that, Mipham Rinpoche here gives a story.
So once upon a time,
there were lots of people, they looked for, they tried to find something which is called the wish-fulfilling jewel. And as the story goes, those wish-fulfilling jewels, they were found somewhere wide far, wide out in the ocean on an island.
So when they were... So this is precisely what happened. So a ship took off, went far out into the ocean, and then suddenly it was attacked by,
by, by, once again, it's coming, sea monsters.
So maybe these days we would call those sea monsters probably crocodiles. Maybe a little different from these days' crocodiles. Maybe they were bigger, yeah.
And immediately all people on the ship, they really became extremely distressed and lamented and feared for their life, and were really quite scared.
The captain of the ship, he had faith in the Buddha, and immediately recalled the three jewels, and especially took refuge in the Buddha, and also made all others call out for the Buddha and have faith in the Buddha.
So they all called out, saying, I prostrate, I bow down to the Buddha.
So that sound was heard by the sea monster, and the sea monster, when hearing the word, I prostrate, I bow down to the Buddha, became really delighted. And all the intention to actually harm the merchants on the ship was pacified.
So all the obstacles for the merchants became pacified, and they were able to return safely home.
And the sea monster, when it heard the name of the Buddha, and I prostrate to the Buddha, it thought that I don't want to engage in a negative act of harming others, of killing others, I would give that up and make that firm commitment. And then when the sea monster finally died, it was reborn as a human being. And as a human being, it had the chance then to, to meet the Buddha's teachings and become ordained, and he then became an arhat.
So it's important to understand that when we hear the name Buddha, it's not like immediately off we go to the pure realm and we become enlightened, it's not like that. But something happens, it becomes a condition that will sooner or later make us attain enlightenment.
So in this way we have to understand that the yoga of Buddha Shakyamuni is extremely powerful. If we focus on the form of the Buddha, on the enlightened form, on his enlightened speech, on his enlightened mind, then the benefits that result from that very meditation, be it samatha or vipassanā meditation, are really limitless.
So first of all, in the commentary here it says, when it comes to the Dharma, there are so many different levels and stages.
So when practicing the Dharma, of course it is extremely beneficial to engage in virtuous deeds with our body and speech. They are extremely precious. But nevertheless, as a Dharma practitioner, we should not be stuck only on that very level, we need more.
So when we talk about the Dharma practitioner, it means that this very person is endowed with discipline, but also trains in samadhi, in meditative absorption.
Especially a Dharma practitioner is somebody who listens to the teachings of the Buddha and then immediately applies them, recollects them.
So when it comes to our mind, how is our mind? Our mind is always in movement, there is always something happening, isn't it?
So if we think back, we have to take into consideration that we lived countless lives in the past, countless. And in all those countless lives we had a mind, didn't we? There was a mind, and this mind has the nature of being always in movement. And imagine all these countless thought states, mental states, inconceivable many thoughts that we thought in the past lives, how many we had actually?
And what was the result of all those many thoughts that we thought? What was it? Well, it was likely not very good, no? And actually most of the time that flickering mind of ours, it produces so much negativity, so much suffering.
So it is important to think like this and that this has happened in the past, that we thought countless thoughts and the result of that was merely suffering, was a misery. So therefore right now we should take a good look at our situation right now. And we know if we were to continue in the same way as before, the result would be the same, just more suffering, a lot of suffering. So therefore I need to do something about my situation right now, I need to change it. The way I change it is that I see clearly and acknowledge clearly that it is my mind that is so flickering, so unstable. That countless, pointless thoughts arise from moment to moment. And I need to overcome this enemy, I need to undo it, I need to completely do away with the enemy of dualistic thinking.
So having made that promise then we think that casting away all those thoughts, the only thought that I will have, the only mental state that I will train in from now on, is I will focus on the Buddha. I will take the Buddha as the object of my meditation, the Buddha's mind, the Buddha's speech, the Buddha's body, and this from now on will be the only object of my thoughts, of my mind.
So if we are able to think these thoughts, take into account these considerations that were just explained, and really train your mind in that way, really give rise to that firm commitment as was explained right now, then before practicing the Buddha Shakyamuni practice, then your practice will really flourish and will become really good.
If we are able to think in that way, then our mind in fact turns toward the Dharma.
And then all the instructions that are written here in the scriptures, they will become our path.
If we then travel the path authentically, what happens is that our obscurations will become purified and that we... and all the qualities of the path and bhumis of the Bodhisattva bhumis will gradually unfold and begin to blossom.
And finally, we will become indistinguishable from Buddha Shakyamuni.
So what was explained in the last two days and today are kind of the preliminaries that we need to train in the preparation, that we need to train in before we begin with the Buddha Shakyamuni practice.
So some people asked me to explain something about the offerings here, and when you take a look at the offerings that are prepared in front of the bodhisattvas, they are extremely unelaborate.
So the usual offering that we make is the offering which is in front of the stupa of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and the photo of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. Here you see the sevenfold arrangement of the offerings, of the seven offerings.
So you start to arrange the offerings from the left side, no wait, yea left, when you stand in front, no?
From the object, the offering side, it starts from the right side. Yea. So first two bowls with water.
So the first two offering bowls, they are filled with water. The first water is called the bathing water. The drinking water and the second is called the bathing water.
The third is the flower offering.
The fourth is the incense offering.
The fifth is the light offering.
And we are now number sixth yea? Is the scented oil or perfume offering.
And the seventh is the food offering.
So if you don't have the shalze-torma, the food-torma to offer, you can also use some kind of organic biscuit or a fruit or anything else, chocolate. For you this is to much complicate but you still like to follow tradition, then you, either you buy or you can get some beautiful glass small cup with seven pieces with filled water also fine.
And how you perform, simple way, when you... first, number one, very important, offering sets are also in nice order. Means not too much up there or everything in order, not too much big gap, yeah? So then you begin with from the object side, from the right to your offer, like this. You go like this. And then when you clean, then you take from the left side of the object, the clean. So this is...
So offerings, making offerings is an antidote against miserliness and stinginess. Miserliness and stinginess means holding onto things, being attached, and giving away something as an antidote to that.
So you decorate offerings and generally also saying, the altar, if possible is higher than you. For example if you are sitting in your bed and doing practice and altar is lower than your bed If possible, if you have condition, make higher.
And... And also, if possible, also when you do meditation, your altar, special statue, whatever you have, and your face-to-face will be very good, if there are options, yeah?
So having arranged the offerings, then you should do three prostrations.
So most of you know how to do prostrations, don't you?
So the way we prostrate here in the temple is called the five limbs prostration.
So that's the sūtra way of doing prostrations. In the tantric way, we make different prostrations. We prostrate in a way that we are fully stretched out on the floor.
So if you know how to prostrate really well and then fold your hands in front of your heart, then this in itself will give you a really calm state of mind.
Generally, a prostration becomes an antidote against pride.
But in fact, if you are able to do prostrations really well authentically, then they become much more than just an antidote against pride. They become real meditation. So some are new and the Rinpoche don't have time to talk these kind of things, so I'm just trying to talk, any new.
Also teaching says, if possible, you have everything and conditions are good, then say do prostration from the front of the statue, not from the side. Yeah. Like here, when we are big gathering, of course everybody cannot do here. So people do prostration here, here, everywhere. But when you are alone, you are home, then don't do like your statues here, but don't do prostration here. If you are in a space, do from the front of the statue.
So when you then make prostrations, you imagine that in the sky before you, in the space before you, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are present.
And you do together prostrations with all sentient beings, you guide them. And in addition to that, you emanate and all sentient beings emanate countless bodies with which we then make prostrations.
So we do the five-limb prostration.
So then we fold first of all our two hands in front of our heart center, and that symbolizes the unity of skillful method and wisdom.
And then we leave an empty space when we fold our hands, we don't, they are not flat pressed together, and this symbolizes a jewel.
And the middle fingers don't touch, they don't touch that symbolizes that the gesture you make is like a lotus flower that is about to blossom.
So then we touch with our folded hands the crown of our head, as was illustrated just now by Lama la. And then you think that, so this way, gesture, may all the negative deeds that I have committed with my body, all the negative deeds of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, may all of it become purified.
Next you fold your hands in front of your throat center and you make the firm aspiration, may through this way gesture all the negative deeds that I have committed with my speech, such as idle gossip, harsh words, divisive talk and lying, may all of that become purified. And then thinking like that, you also feel that now they have become purified.
And then you fold your hands in front of your heart center making the firm aspiration, that through this very gesture may all the negative deeds that I have committed with my mind of covetousness, ill will and wrong view, may all of it become purified. And then again you with a firm sense of conviction, you think now it all has become purified.
Then having completed that, we then bow down and touch with our five limbs the ground. And our five limbs are the two knees, our two hands and the forehead.
When this happens, when we touch with our five limbs the ground, we then make the firm aspiration, may all the five negative emotions be realized as the five wisdoms.
May I actualize and realize the five wisdoms.
And then we think I have realized them, I have actualized the five wisdoms.
And this you then repeat three times.
And then when we rise the third time and we have completed the three types, the three prostrations, then we again, we conclude the prostrations by touching on on top of the crown of our head, throat center and heart center. And then we think at that time that now my body has transformed into the enlightened body and my speech has transformed into the enlightened speech and my mind has transformed into the enlightened mind.
So if you are able to really do that genuinely, just as it was explained right now, then...
then your mind will become so calm from that gesture, it will become also so soft and gentle.
So from this, receiving those explanations, we can understand that prostration is not merely a tradition that we have to follow, but in fact it is a practice that is really beneficial for ourselves.
If we don't make prostrations with these pure recollections in mind, then it is a tradition, no? It's merely we follow a tradition if we just do it mindlessly. Or it's just we think it's our duty, we have to do it as good Buddhists.
But when we do so, when we just do prostrations without really thinking much, then what happens in this very moment is that we and the Dharma become separate entities and this is a very precarious situation.
Because what happens if we and the Dharma become separate, we can never change. The Dharma cannot change us.
And if the Dharma has no effect on us, that is to say, if it cannot change us, sooner or later we will give rise to wrong beliefs and mistaken beliefs.
And that's really easy to understand, no? For instance, if you do prostrations without actually thinking much, just doing it because you think it's perhaps your duty, then you will never experience the benefits that result from doing genuine prostrations. And not experiencing the benefits that come from doing genuine prostrations, you will think after some time, well, it doesn't work. Prostrations don't work and they don't do anything good to me. It must be all a lie, what they say, what they teach. It's not true. So think, prostration is not for me.
All the 84,000 sections of the Buddha's teachings are all taught for us, for all the different individuals that abound in this world, that exist in this world.
I like, I like bodhicitta, but I don't like refuge, so I take out refuge somewhere. I like mental offering, but I don't like confessions, so I take out.
So there's all the different teachings that are given and all the practices in order for us to change our mind, that our mind becomes transformed. And if we do them, if we follow through that is to say, if we really do them as they are taught, as they are explained, we'll experience the benefits.
So if we do prostration, as it was explained right now, in this genuine way, then first of all what will happen is that the obstacles for our session will be all dispelled. The obstacles and also our mind will become very soft and gentle and will receive the blessings. So our mind has been transformed, it already has changed from, from doing prostrations and then we become really open and ready for the session.
And we also, I forgot to say, purify our obscurations by doing prostrations. And by doing so, our experience changes, our experience has become transformed. And that is already meditation, that's practice.
In the tantric sādhanas or practices, there is a practice which is called the downpour of blessings, which is really precious and important.
And in the drupchens, in the great practices, we always, in each session, we receive that, or practice that downpour of blessings.
So what does this downpour of blessings really do? What good is it for? Well, what happens is that everything through that very process becomes pure.
And if everything becomes pure, then what happens, what arises or manifests through this very process is that the good fortune or the luck for receiving the siddhis occurs.
If you, for instance, do a retreat, and then we, in a retreat hut, we think, oh, I'm in a retreat hut, this is just an ordinary place, this is just, everything we regard, everything is ordinary. Then through that ordinary perception, what happens is that we'll not receive the siddhis we'll not receive accomplishment, or that the kind of luck of the siddhis will degenerate through such a perception.
So if we...
if we do the prostrations, as was explained before, what happens is that our body, speech, and mind becomes completely transformed, not ordinary anymore, everything becomes pure. Our mind, our body and speech become the enlightened body, speech and mind. And um...
and then with that purity in mind, we then sit down and begin our practice session, and then then everything can really go well from there. Even just start to sit down in your meditation cushion, you feel so comfortable, you feel so kind, relaxed. Otherwise, just sitting, our worry is, how will go my meditation sessions.
Usually our mind is so narrow and confined, we always have all kinds of worries, how will my meditation session go? Will it go well or not well? But if we do the prostrations in that way, as explained before, everything will go well because you have already purified everything. You just sit down without any worries or concerns.
As was mentioned before, that if we merely think of the Buddha, a single moment, and feel faith and devotion toward the Buddha, then this in itself purifies our obscurations in an inconceivable way, just that very process, that very short action. Now think about doing prostrations, doing prostrations really in that genuine way, as was explained before, recollecting all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in front of you, and with faith and devotion, you then bow down, purifying your body, speech and mind. So this, and not only that, at the same time what you keep in mind is that you are doing prostrations together with all sentient beings. You are transforming your body into countless bodies, and with these multiplied bodies you then make prostrations to the Buddha. So at that very moment also you posses bodhicitta because you are doing it together with all sentient beings. So this kind of, this is an extremely profound and vast practice, and this really purifies our obscurations in a very vast way.
There are some people in Tibet who all their life, all what they did was just prostrations.
And the late Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, he was really really tall and it was very difficult for him to move, but he did every day at least 50 or 100 prostrations.
All take into account the example of Trulshik Rinpoche, who even when he was really really old, he did every day 200 prostrations.
Only at the very end of his life did he reduce the amount of prostrations, then he did fewer, but otherwise he always did 200. I forgot to say before that if you then do the prostrations in that way, then really your practice will go extremely well. There is no, you don't need to have any worries. It will be extremely successful.
So please do the prostrations really well, especially when you are at home alone. You have in the, at home, in your private sphere, you can really take care and do them well. Now when we are all together, it's difficult to, to... have so much time to do them, but at home please do them like that.
So if prostrations were not that very important, then all the masters in the past who had such high realization like the vast sky, why would they do so many prostrations? They wouldn't waste their time like that, no?
So we do three prostrations with bottom of our heart. It's not just because you are Buddhist, you have to do, not like that. Or this is like tradition, not like that. We need to do bottom of our heart three times, nicely, according to your own traditions. Yea. And all the Buddhists they do prostrations, but according to their own, they have traditions, but according to that we do nicely and very very good.
So tomorrow I will talk a little bit about...
So tomorrow I will give some brief explanations about the body posture. And then we will go into the sādhana, into the Buddha Shakyamuni practice.
And especially when it comes to practicing the Dharma, it's important that we understand that the Dharma has to be practiced with our mind.
Where this is the case it is so often, so often people forget that the Dharma has to be practiced with one's mind. And the belief that Dharma practice actually comes down to doing something with your body and your speech. And when forgetting about that, then it seems like that we do practice the Dharma because we are doing something, but nevertheless there is no kind of improvement when it comes to our mind. We do not progress in any way.
So first of all it's important to understand, any type of movement or actions that we do with our body and speech are conditions. They are not the cause. The cause for Dharma practice is the mind.
Just take the example of putting a rice... you want that the rice plant grows forth, but you don't really plant the rice seed. So if there is no seed in the ground then also nothing will grow from it, isn't it? Because the cause is absent. It's so easy to put a lot of water and fertilizer and whatever on that piece of earth, nothing will grow from it because there is no seed present.
Let us take another example. Let us look at it from another perspective. Imagine that there is a seed present, but you lack the conditions. That is to say you don't put any fertilizer, there is no moisture, no water. The seed may grow into a plant, but it will take a long time. So the conditions, that is to say the fertilizer, the moisture and so forth are all really important. In this way the physical and the verbal actions when practicing the Dharma are also really important.
So when it comes to the practice of the secret Mantrayāna, we have to understand that there are so many methods, so many skill full means and they are all good conditions. They are all conditions that we need. So for instance, the practice of the inner subtle body of learning how to utilize the key points of your inner nadis, the channels, the wind, the essences, the bindus. All of that is extremely important and there are extremely good conditions and skillful methods. If you practice them with the cause, that is to say while having devotion, compassion and renunciation in your mind while developing those qualities, you will by combining them together quickly reach the result of enlightenment.
So therefore the Buddha pointed out that we have to understand that when it comes to virtuous actions and negative actions, non-virtuous actions, that they are not just mere reflections. In fact, whether or not something is virtuous or non-virtuous comes about based on our motivation.
So we all know what it means to have a negative motivation, isn't it? That is something that is a state of mind that is intoxicated by negative emotions, we are influenced by negative emotions. And when such a negative state of mind overwhelms us, what we naturally do is inflict harm on others. And that is negative, that is unwholesome or non-virtuous.
For instance, or sometimes it may be the case that some actions that we train or that we engage in are actually beneficial for some time, but in the end they cause a lot of suffering. So while they are in the outset or in the beginning beneficial, they nevertheless become non-virtuous, they cause suffering, so therefore they are to be abandoned.
So what is a positive, a virtuous motivation? It is something that helps others, something that is beneficial, not only ultimately but also on a temporary level, it is always good, it is always beneficial for others. That's a positive state of mind, something that is beneficial.
So it's so important that we always take a good look at ourselves and examine our motivation.
It may be the case that five minutes ago we had such a positive, such a virtuous motivation, but then five minutes passed and then positive motivation also has gone, it has disappeared.
Why is that? It is simply because we have not yet abandoned negative emotions.
So this subtle latent negative emotions are constantly present in our mind and therefore they can manifest and arise any moment as gross, very strong negative emotions.
Also we always encounter conditions or we encounter objects that really stimulate our negative emotions.
Also our mind is influenced by ignorance, stupidity, and this is precisely the reason for why we have so many mistaken beliefs. And due to these mistaken beliefs, when we meet with certain conditions, then negative emotions, negative and un-virtuous mental states arise in our mind. And this is precisely the reason for why Rinpoche always encourages us to be really conscientious and careful.
There is a saying, a Tibetan saying that goes the following, better than just reciting mantras while having all kinds of thoughts, virtuous or non-virtuous. It is better to sing a song with a virtuous state of mind.
So we all have the intention, isn't it, to practice the Dharma. We want to do it really well, genuinely. That's our intention. When we have that intention, because of our negative habitual patterns, we often don't follow through. It doesn't really work out. We forget what we really wanted to do. And although we started out engaging in some virtuous actions in the end, they don't turn out so well. So therefore it's so important that we again and again give rise to proper motivation. Be really careful about it. Look within yourself and examine your motivation. So Rinpoche stressed precisely this point in his teachings today. So when summarizing his teachings, this is precisely the point to which everything comes down to. Give rise and make sure that you always give rise to a pure motivation.
The term that we translate as motivation in Tibetan is kun long, and kun means many.
That refers to that there are just so many thoughts that can appear in our mind that we can think.
And long means to arise, to manifest. And there's...
And there's one among all those mental states and thoughts that we select.
So which one is that state of mind? Which one do we select? It is the precious attitude of bodhicitta.
So what does this practically really mean? It means that when we do a meditation session, when we meditate, it's so important that first of all we give rise to a pure motivation. That we do it, we want to meditate for the welfare of all sentient beings, to help other sentient beings.
So yesterday we received some explanations of Mipham Rinpoche's commentary on the Treasury of Blessings. And in his teachings he explains very clearly that we need to, before we start out to practice the yoga of Buddha Shakyamuni, the practice of Buddha Shakyamuni, that we need to give rise to a faith that knows its own reason. And with that type of faith then we recollect the enlightened body, the enlightened speech and the enlightened mind of the Buddha. If we do that, our practice will become very successful (*successful).
When we talk about faith, it's really important that, that faith is based on a reason. We know why we have faith.
And here it's good to differentiate faith from devotion. Devotion is a quality that we need to give rise in the teachings of the secret Mantrayāna. And devotion is not to be examined, you don't need to have a reason for why you have devotion. It's just you need to feel devotion, you need to give rise to pure perception. And that is the extraordinary quality of the secret Mantrayāna that we need to train in.
So Mipham Rinpoche explains that how do we develop this type of faith when we need to first of all understand the qualities of the Buddha.
So in this world, a Buddha has appeared and this Buddha is known as Buddha Shakyamuni.
So did the Buddha just appear out of the blue? No. There are certain causes and conditions that made the Buddha appear, that made the Buddha Shakyamuni awaken to supreme and perfect enlightenment. The causes and conditions that led to it are the accumulations of merit that he has gathered in his previous lives and the purification of his defilement’s that he trained in his past lives.
So the Buddha gave rise to the attitude of enlightenment to bodhicitta countless eons ago. And we have to understand that the Buddha was somebody who followed through. That is to say he made a resolve, he made a commitment and really embodied that very commitment. It's not like how we do it, isn't it? We all have that sincere wish, we make it again and again, give rise to the motivation. I want to establish each and every single sentient being in a state of enlightenment. I really want to help everybody. I want to help all sentient beings. But then when it comes to actually doing something for other sentient beings, we don't have any time and we don't really help them. So the Buddha was very different. The Buddha did not do that. The Buddha actually when giving rise to the attitude of enlightenment, he followed through. That is to say he actually really helped others.
If we have to reduce our sleeping time for three hours, meaning sleep three hours less every night, it's too much for us, no? We can't... That's too great hardship for us.
So the Buddhas are very different than us. Just to help a single sentient being who has been reborn in hell, the Buddha will abide in hell. Just for a single sentient being in order to help them the Buddha will abide in hell for many eons.
So just recall that. What kind of attitude, what kind of courage and fortitude a Buddha must have. No?
So the Buddha is somebody who has perfected all the enlightened activities. For incalculable eons he has purified his obscurations and has gathered accumulations and has during all those lifetimes perfected his aspiration prayers, always made aspiration prayers for the welfare of all sentient beings and has in this way brought countless sentient beings to maturation, has ripened their mind stream and finally also has through these trainings and these practices manifested many pure Buddha fields.
Therefore he has attained the great wisdom body that is free from all stains.
For those sentient beings who had no protector, he became the protector. For those sentient beings who needed a savior, he became the savior.
For those who elect refuge, he became the object of refuge.
He is the great unacquainted friend.
So what does it mean? Usually when we become friends we need to acquaint ourselves with each other, get to know each other, befriend each other, but the Buddha becomes our friend without having to befriend him.
For his own benefit he has attained dharmakāya, and dharmakāya is endowed with stainless, with undefiled qualities. For instance the ten powers and the four types of fearlessness.
An example for all these undefiled qualities the Buddha possesses is the ocean.
The Buddha is endowed with great wisdom that knows the three times at the same time in a single moment.
And with his enlightened speech that is endowed with the sixty aspects of melodious speech, he is able to teach the Dharma to all sentient beings.
So we can't really teach the birds, don't we? But the Buddha is able to teach the dharma to the birds.
The Buddha's enlightened form is endowed with the thirty two major marks and the eighty minor marks. So therefore when we merely see the Buddha's enlightened form something happens in our mind. It's a... What happens is that we become liberated by merely seeing the Buddha's form.
It is said if we were to talk about the qualities, the enlightened qualities of a single hair of the Buddha, bodily hair of the Buddha, or a single light ray that streams forth from the Buddha's body. If one were to explain the countless qualities, for many eons, there would be even this long time, the time would be not sufficient, it would take longer time to explain those amazing qualities.
So now imagine, if we recall the Buddha's form, see the Buddha's form, if we hear the Buddha's speech, recall the Buddha's enlightened qualities, make offerings to the Buddha, with faith and devotion, it is needless to mention that these types of recollections and activities, actions will bring about boundless benefits.
Even if we were to see only a thangka of the Buddha, see the statue of the Buddha, hear the Buddha's name, that in itself, it says, will become the cause for us to become enlightened in the future.
So if we encounter the Buddha in this way, either seeing the Buddha's form or hearing the Buddha's name, then we will not fall into the three lower realms, if we don't practice, even if we don't practice, we won't fall into the three lower realms. Samsara will come to an end, through this very condition.
Then, Mipham, he quotes some citations from the sūtra of the white lotus sūtra of compassion,
So to focus or visualize the Buddha and with a focus of mind and toss a flower into the air. Or that we um...
Or that you give rise to a really, a mind filled with faith towards the Buddha.
So the Buddha himself taught that if we form a connection with the Buddha in this way, focusing on him, tossing a flower, or just giving rise to faith when encountering the Buddha, even if an animal does so, it will become enlightened, it will a soon pass into, it will reach nirvana.
So why are we talking about this? The reason is that the Treasury of Blessing is a practice of Buddha Shakyamuni, is a recollection of the Buddha's qualities.
So the countless Arhats and Bodhisattvas on this planet,
if we would make offerings to them, then compared to that, it would be much more meritorious and beneficial to merely encounter the Buddha and feel faith folding our hands in front of our heart, and feel faith towards the Buddha.
So why is this? Why is it beneficial to give rise to faith towards the Buddha? Well, the Buddha is endowed with inconceivable qualities, the inconceivable qualities of enlightenment, of loving-kindness, compassion, enlightened activity, enlightened wisdom. And if we feel faith towards the Buddha's enlightened qualities, towards the Buddha, Then, um... towards something that is inconceivable in nature, the result that we receive from that is also, becomes inconceivable.
So as was mentioned before, if we merely hear the Buddha's name, we will not fall into the lower realms. We will sooner or later become enlightened, reach nirvana.
So in order to illustrate that, Mipham Rinpoche here gives a story.
So once upon a time,
there were lots of people, they looked for, they tried to find something which is called the wish-fulfilling jewel. And as the story goes, those wish-fulfilling jewels, they were found somewhere wide far, wide out in the ocean on an island.
So when they were... So this is precisely what happened. So a ship took off, went far out into the ocean, and then suddenly it was attacked by,
by, by, once again, it's coming, sea monsters.
So maybe these days we would call those sea monsters probably crocodiles. Maybe a little different from these days' crocodiles. Maybe they were bigger, yeah.
And immediately all people on the ship, they really became extremely distressed and lamented and feared for their life, and were really quite scared.
The captain of the ship, he had faith in the Buddha, and immediately recalled the three jewels, and especially took refuge in the Buddha, and also made all others call out for the Buddha and have faith in the Buddha.
So they all called out, saying, I prostrate, I bow down to the Buddha.
So that sound was heard by the sea monster, and the sea monster, when hearing the word, I prostrate, I bow down to the Buddha, became really delighted. And all the intention to actually harm the merchants on the ship was pacified.
So all the obstacles for the merchants became pacified, and they were able to return safely home.
And the sea monster, when it heard the name of the Buddha, and I prostrate to the Buddha, it thought that I don't want to engage in a negative act of harming others, of killing others, I would give that up and make that firm commitment. And then when the sea monster finally died, it was reborn as a human being. And as a human being, it had the chance then to, to meet the Buddha's teachings and become ordained, and he then became an arhat.
So it's important to understand that when we hear the name Buddha, it's not like immediately off we go to the pure realm and we become enlightened, it's not like that. But something happens, it becomes a condition that will sooner or later make us attain enlightenment.
So in this way we have to understand that the yoga of Buddha Shakyamuni is extremely powerful. If we focus on the form of the Buddha, on the enlightened form, on his enlightened speech, on his enlightened mind, then the benefits that result from that very meditation, be it samatha or vipassanā meditation, are really limitless.
So first of all, in the commentary here it says, when it comes to the Dharma, there are so many different levels and stages.
So when practicing the Dharma, of course it is extremely beneficial to engage in virtuous deeds with our body and speech. They are extremely precious. But nevertheless, as a Dharma practitioner, we should not be stuck only on that very level, we need more.
So when we talk about the Dharma practitioner, it means that this very person is endowed with discipline, but also trains in samadhi, in meditative absorption.
Especially a Dharma practitioner is somebody who listens to the teachings of the Buddha and then immediately applies them, recollects them.
So when it comes to our mind, how is our mind? Our mind is always in movement, there is always something happening, isn't it?
So if we think back, we have to take into consideration that we lived countless lives in the past, countless. And in all those countless lives we had a mind, didn't we? There was a mind, and this mind has the nature of being always in movement. And imagine all these countless thought states, mental states, inconceivable many thoughts that we thought in the past lives, how many we had actually?
And what was the result of all those many thoughts that we thought? What was it? Well, it was likely not very good, no? And actually most of the time that flickering mind of ours, it produces so much negativity, so much suffering.
So it is important to think like this and that this has happened in the past, that we thought countless thoughts and the result of that was merely suffering, was a misery. So therefore right now we should take a good look at our situation right now. And we know if we were to continue in the same way as before, the result would be the same, just more suffering, a lot of suffering. So therefore I need to do something about my situation right now, I need to change it. The way I change it is that I see clearly and acknowledge clearly that it is my mind that is so flickering, so unstable. That countless, pointless thoughts arise from moment to moment. And I need to overcome this enemy, I need to undo it, I need to completely do away with the enemy of dualistic thinking.
So having made that promise then we think that casting away all those thoughts, the only thought that I will have, the only mental state that I will train in from now on, is I will focus on the Buddha. I will take the Buddha as the object of my meditation, the Buddha's mind, the Buddha's speech, the Buddha's body, and this from now on will be the only object of my thoughts, of my mind.
So if we are able to think these thoughts, take into account these considerations that were just explained, and really train your mind in that way, really give rise to that firm commitment as was explained right now, then before practicing the Buddha Shakyamuni practice, then your practice will really flourish and will become really good.
If we are able to think in that way, then our mind in fact turns toward the Dharma.
And then all the instructions that are written here in the scriptures, they will become our path.
If we then travel the path authentically, what happens is that our obscurations will become purified and that we... and all the qualities of the path and bhumis of the Bodhisattva bhumis will gradually unfold and begin to blossom.
And finally, we will become indistinguishable from Buddha Shakyamuni.
So what was explained in the last two days and today are kind of the preliminaries that we need to train in the preparation, that we need to train in before we begin with the Buddha Shakyamuni practice.
So some people asked me to explain something about the offerings here, and when you take a look at the offerings that are prepared in front of the bodhisattvas, they are extremely unelaborate.
So the usual offering that we make is the offering which is in front of the stupa of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and the photo of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. Here you see the sevenfold arrangement of the offerings, of the seven offerings.
So you start to arrange the offerings from the left side, no wait, yea left, when you stand in front, no?
From the object, the offering side, it starts from the right side. Yea. So first two bowls with water.
So the first two offering bowls, they are filled with water. The first water is called the bathing water. The drinking water and the second is called the bathing water.
The third is the flower offering.
The fourth is the incense offering.
The fifth is the light offering.
And we are now number sixth yea? Is the scented oil or perfume offering.
And the seventh is the food offering.
So if you don't have the shalze-torma, the food-torma to offer, you can also use some kind of organic biscuit or a fruit or anything else, chocolate. For you this is to much complicate but you still like to follow tradition, then you, either you buy or you can get some beautiful glass small cup with seven pieces with filled water also fine.
And how you perform, simple way, when you... first, number one, very important, offering sets are also in nice order. Means not too much up there or everything in order, not too much big gap, yeah? So then you begin with from the object side, from the right to your offer, like this. You go like this. And then when you clean, then you take from the left side of the object, the clean. So this is...
So offerings, making offerings is an antidote against miserliness and stinginess. Miserliness and stinginess means holding onto things, being attached, and giving away something as an antidote to that.
So you decorate offerings and generally also saying, the altar, if possible is higher than you. For example if you are sitting in your bed and doing practice and altar is lower than your bed If possible, if you have condition, make higher.
And... And also, if possible, also when you do meditation, your altar, special statue, whatever you have, and your face-to-face will be very good, if there are options, yeah?
So having arranged the offerings, then you should do three prostrations.
So most of you know how to do prostrations, don't you?
So the way we prostrate here in the temple is called the five limbs prostration.
So that's the sūtra way of doing prostrations. In the tantric way, we make different prostrations. We prostrate in a way that we are fully stretched out on the floor.
So if you know how to prostrate really well and then fold your hands in front of your heart, then this in itself will give you a really calm state of mind.
Generally, a prostration becomes an antidote against pride.
But in fact, if you are able to do prostrations really well authentically, then they become much more than just an antidote against pride. They become real meditation. So some are new and the Rinpoche don't have time to talk these kind of things, so I'm just trying to talk, any new.
Also teaching says, if possible, you have everything and conditions are good, then say do prostration from the front of the statue, not from the side. Yeah. Like here, when we are big gathering, of course everybody cannot do here. So people do prostration here, here, everywhere. But when you are alone, you are home, then don't do like your statues here, but don't do prostration here. If you are in a space, do from the front of the statue.
So when you then make prostrations, you imagine that in the sky before you, in the space before you, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are present.
And you do together prostrations with all sentient beings, you guide them. And in addition to that, you emanate and all sentient beings emanate countless bodies with which we then make prostrations.
So we do the five-limb prostration.
So then we fold first of all our two hands in front of our heart center, and that symbolizes the unity of skillful method and wisdom.
And then we leave an empty space when we fold our hands, we don't, they are not flat pressed together, and this symbolizes a jewel.
And the middle fingers don't touch, they don't touch that symbolizes that the gesture you make is like a lotus flower that is about to blossom.
So then we touch with our folded hands the crown of our head, as was illustrated just now by Lama la. And then you think that, so this way, gesture, may all the negative deeds that I have committed with my body, all the negative deeds of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, may all of it become purified.
Next you fold your hands in front of your throat center and you make the firm aspiration, may through this way gesture all the negative deeds that I have committed with my speech, such as idle gossip, harsh words, divisive talk and lying, may all of that become purified. And then thinking like that, you also feel that now they have become purified.
And then you fold your hands in front of your heart center making the firm aspiration, that through this very gesture may all the negative deeds that I have committed with my mind of covetousness, ill will and wrong view, may all of it become purified. And then again you with a firm sense of conviction, you think now it all has become purified.
Then having completed that, we then bow down and touch with our five limbs the ground. And our five limbs are the two knees, our two hands and the forehead.
When this happens, when we touch with our five limbs the ground, we then make the firm aspiration, may all the five negative emotions be realized as the five wisdoms.
May I actualize and realize the five wisdoms.
And then we think I have realized them, I have actualized the five wisdoms.
And this you then repeat three times.
And then when we rise the third time and we have completed the three types, the three prostrations, then we again, we conclude the prostrations by touching on on top of the crown of our head, throat center and heart center. And then we think at that time that now my body has transformed into the enlightened body and my speech has transformed into the enlightened speech and my mind has transformed into the enlightened mind.
So if you are able to really do that genuinely, just as it was explained right now, then...
then your mind will become so calm from that gesture, it will become also so soft and gentle.
So from this, receiving those explanations, we can understand that prostration is not merely a tradition that we have to follow, but in fact it is a practice that is really beneficial for ourselves.
If we don't make prostrations with these pure recollections in mind, then it is a tradition, no? It's merely we follow a tradition if we just do it mindlessly. Or it's just we think it's our duty, we have to do it as good Buddhists.
But when we do so, when we just do prostrations without really thinking much, then what happens in this very moment is that we and the Dharma become separate entities and this is a very precarious situation.
Because what happens if we and the Dharma become separate, we can never change. The Dharma cannot change us.
And if the Dharma has no effect on us, that is to say, if it cannot change us, sooner or later we will give rise to wrong beliefs and mistaken beliefs.
And that's really easy to understand, no? For instance, if you do prostrations without actually thinking much, just doing it because you think it's perhaps your duty, then you will never experience the benefits that result from doing genuine prostrations. And not experiencing the benefits that come from doing genuine prostrations, you will think after some time, well, it doesn't work. Prostrations don't work and they don't do anything good to me. It must be all a lie, what they say, what they teach. It's not true. So think, prostration is not for me.
All the 84,000 sections of the Buddha's teachings are all taught for us, for all the different individuals that abound in this world, that exist in this world.
I like, I like bodhicitta, but I don't like refuge, so I take out refuge somewhere. I like mental offering, but I don't like confessions, so I take out.
So there's all the different teachings that are given and all the practices in order for us to change our mind, that our mind becomes transformed. And if we do them, if we follow through that is to say, if we really do them as they are taught, as they are explained, we'll experience the benefits.
So if we do prostration, as it was explained right now, in this genuine way, then first of all what will happen is that the obstacles for our session will be all dispelled. The obstacles and also our mind will become very soft and gentle and will receive the blessings. So our mind has been transformed, it already has changed from, from doing prostrations and then we become really open and ready for the session.
And we also, I forgot to say, purify our obscurations by doing prostrations. And by doing so, our experience changes, our experience has become transformed. And that is already meditation, that's practice.
In the tantric sādhanas or practices, there is a practice which is called the downpour of blessings, which is really precious and important.
And in the drupchens, in the great practices, we always, in each session, we receive that, or practice that downpour of blessings.
So what does this downpour of blessings really do? What good is it for? Well, what happens is that everything through that very process becomes pure.
And if everything becomes pure, then what happens, what arises or manifests through this very process is that the good fortune or the luck for receiving the siddhis occurs.
If you, for instance, do a retreat, and then we, in a retreat hut, we think, oh, I'm in a retreat hut, this is just an ordinary place, this is just, everything we regard, everything is ordinary. Then through that ordinary perception, what happens is that we'll not receive the siddhis we'll not receive accomplishment, or that the kind of luck of the siddhis will degenerate through such a perception.
So if we...
if we do the prostrations, as was explained before, what happens is that our body, speech, and mind becomes completely transformed, not ordinary anymore, everything becomes pure. Our mind, our body and speech become the enlightened body, speech and mind. And um...
and then with that purity in mind, we then sit down and begin our practice session, and then then everything can really go well from there. Even just start to sit down in your meditation cushion, you feel so comfortable, you feel so kind, relaxed. Otherwise, just sitting, our worry is, how will go my meditation sessions.
Usually our mind is so narrow and confined, we always have all kinds of worries, how will my meditation session go? Will it go well or not well? But if we do the prostrations in that way, as explained before, everything will go well because you have already purified everything. You just sit down without any worries or concerns.
As was mentioned before, that if we merely think of the Buddha, a single moment, and feel faith and devotion toward the Buddha, then this in itself purifies our obscurations in an inconceivable way, just that very process, that very short action. Now think about doing prostrations, doing prostrations really in that genuine way, as was explained before, recollecting all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in front of you, and with faith and devotion, you then bow down, purifying your body, speech and mind. So this, and not only that, at the same time what you keep in mind is that you are doing prostrations together with all sentient beings. You are transforming your body into countless bodies, and with these multiplied bodies you then make prostrations to the Buddha. So at that very moment also you posses bodhicitta because you are doing it together with all sentient beings. So this kind of, this is an extremely profound and vast practice, and this really purifies our obscurations in a very vast way.
There are some people in Tibet who all their life, all what they did was just prostrations.
And the late Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, he was really really tall and it was very difficult for him to move, but he did every day at least 50 or 100 prostrations.
All take into account the example of Trulshik Rinpoche, who even when he was really really old, he did every day 200 prostrations.
Only at the very end of his life did he reduce the amount of prostrations, then he did fewer, but otherwise he always did 200. I forgot to say before that if you then do the prostrations in that way, then really your practice will go extremely well. There is no, you don't need to have any worries. It will be extremely successful.
So please do the prostrations really well, especially when you are at home alone. You have in the, at home, in your private sphere, you can really take care and do them well. Now when we are all together, it's difficult to, to... have so much time to do them, but at home please do them like that.
So if prostrations were not that very important, then all the masters in the past who had such high realization like the vast sky, why would they do so many prostrations? They wouldn't waste their time like that, no?
So we do three prostrations with bottom of our heart. It's not just because you are Buddhist, you have to do, not like that. Or this is like tradition, not like that. We need to do bottom of our heart three times, nicely, according to your own traditions. Yea. And all the Buddhists they do prostrations, but according to their own, they have traditions, but according to that we do nicely and very very good.
So tomorrow I will talk a little bit about...
So tomorrow I will give some brief explanations about the body posture. And then we will go into the sādhana, into the Buddha Shakyamuni practice.
01:22:15
Today, Rinpoche taught
explicitly how important it is
for all of us to give rise
to a proper motivation.
And especially when it comes to practicing the Dharma, it's important that we understand that the Dharma has to be practiced with our mind.
Where this is the case it is so often, so often people forget that the Dharma has to be practiced with one's mind. And the belief that Dharma practice actually comes down to doing something with your body and your speech. And when forgetting about that, then it seems like that we do practice the Dharma because we are doing something, but nevertheless there is no kind of improvement when it comes to our mind. We do not progress in any way.
So first of all it's important to understand, any type of movement or actions that we do with our body and speech are conditions. They are not the cause. The cause for Dharma practice is the mind.
Just take the example of putting a rice... you want that the rice plant grows forth, but you don't really plant the rice seed. So if there is no seed in the ground then also nothing will grow from it, isn't it? Because the cause is absent. It's so easy to put a lot of water and fertilizer and whatever on that piece of earth, nothing will grow from it because there is no seed present.
Let us take another example. Let us look at it from another perspective. Imagine that there is a seed present, but you lack the conditions. That is to say you don't put any fertilizer, there is no moisture, no water. The seed may grow into a plant, but it will take a long time. So the conditions, that is to say the fertilizer, the moisture and so forth are all really important. In this way the physical and the verbal actions when practicing the Dharma are also really important.
So when it comes to the practice of the secret Mantrayāna, we have to understand that there are so many methods, so many skill full means and they are all good conditions. They are all conditions that we need. So for instance, the practice of the inner subtle body of learning how to utilize the key points of your inner nadis, the channels, the wind, the essences, the bindus. All of that is extremely important and there are extremely good conditions and skillful methods. If you practice them with the cause, that is to say while having devotion, compassion and renunciation in your mind while developing those qualities, you will by combining them together quickly reach the result of enlightenment.
So therefore the Buddha pointed out that we have to understand that when it comes to virtuous actions and negative actions, non-virtuous actions, that they are not just mere reflections. In fact, whether or not something is virtuous or non-virtuous comes about based on our motivation.
So we all know what it means to have a negative motivation, isn't it? That is something that is a state of mind that is intoxicated by negative emotions, we are influenced by negative emotions. And when such a negative state of mind overwhelms us, what we naturally do is inflict harm on others. And that is negative, that is unwholesome or non-virtuous.
For instance, or sometimes it may be the case that some actions that we train or that we engage in are actually beneficial for some time, but in the end they cause a lot of suffering. So while they are in the outset or in the beginning beneficial, they nevertheless become non-virtuous, they cause suffering, so therefore they are to be abandoned.
So what is a positive, a virtuous motivation? It is something that helps others, something that is beneficial, not only ultimately but also on a temporary level, it is always good, it is always beneficial for others. That's a positive state of mind, something that is beneficial.
So it's so important that we always take a good look at ourselves and examine our motivation.
It may be the case that five minutes ago we had such a positive, such a virtuous motivation, but then five minutes passed and then positive motivation also has gone, it has disappeared.
Why is that? It is simply because we have not yet abandoned negative emotions.
So this subtle latent negative emotions are constantly present in our mind and therefore they can manifest and arise any moment as gross, very strong negative emotions.
Also we always encounter conditions or we encounter objects that really stimulate our negative emotions.
Also our mind is influenced by ignorance, stupidity, and this is precisely the reason for why we have so many mistaken beliefs. And due to these mistaken beliefs, when we meet with certain conditions, then negative emotions, negative and un-virtuous mental states arise in our mind. And this is precisely the reason for why Rinpoche always encourages us to be really conscientious and careful.
There is a saying, a Tibetan saying that goes the following, better than just reciting mantras while having all kinds of thoughts, virtuous or non-virtuous. It is better to sing a song with a virtuous state of mind.
So we all have the intention, isn't it, to practice the Dharma. We want to do it really well, genuinely. That's our intention. When we have that intention, because of our negative habitual patterns, we often don't follow through. It doesn't really work out. We forget what we really wanted to do. And although we started out engaging in some virtuous actions in the end, they don't turn out so well. So therefore it's so important that we again and again give rise to proper motivation. Be really careful about it. Look within yourself and examine your motivation. So Rinpoche stressed precisely this point in his teachings today. So when summarizing his teachings, this is precisely the point to which everything comes down to. Give rise and make sure that you always give rise to a pure motivation.
The term that we translate as motivation in Tibetan is kun long, and kun means many.
That refers to that there are just so many thoughts that can appear in our mind that we can think.
And long means to arise, to manifest. And there's...
And there's one among all those mental states and thoughts that we select.
So which one is that state of mind? Which one do we select? It is the precious attitude of bodhicitta.
So what does this practically really mean? It means that when we do a meditation session, when we meditate, it's so important that first of all we give rise to a pure motivation. That we do it, we want to meditate for the welfare of all sentient beings, to help other sentient beings.
So yesterday we received some explanations of Mipham Rinpoche's commentary on the Treasury of Blessings. And in his teachings he explains very clearly that we need to, before we start out to practice the yoga of Buddha Shakyamuni, the practice of Buddha Shakyamuni, that we need to give rise to a faith that knows its own reason. And with that type of faith then we recollect the enlightened body, the enlightened speech and the enlightened mind of the Buddha. If we do that, our practice will become very successful (*successful).
When we talk about faith, it's really important that, that faith is based on a reason. We know why we have faith.
And here it's good to differentiate faith from devotion. Devotion is a quality that we need to give rise in the teachings of the secret Mantrayāna. And devotion is not to be examined, you don't need to have a reason for why you have devotion. It's just you need to feel devotion, you need to give rise to pure perception. And that is the extraordinary quality of the secret Mantrayāna that we need to train in.
So Mipham Rinpoche explains that how do we develop this type of faith when we need to first of all understand the qualities of the Buddha.
So in this world, a Buddha has appeared and this Buddha is known as Buddha Shakyamuni.
So did the Buddha just appear out of the blue? No. There are certain causes and conditions that made the Buddha appear, that made the Buddha Shakyamuni awaken to supreme and perfect enlightenment. The causes and conditions that led to it are the accumulations of merit that he has gathered in his previous lives and the purification of his defilement’s that he trained in his past lives.
So the Buddha gave rise to the attitude of enlightenment to bodhicitta countless eons ago. And we have to understand that the Buddha was somebody who followed through. That is to say he made a resolve, he made a commitment and really embodied that very commitment. It's not like how we do it, isn't it? We all have that sincere wish, we make it again and again, give rise to the motivation. I want to establish each and every single sentient being in a state of enlightenment. I really want to help everybody. I want to help all sentient beings. But then when it comes to actually doing something for other sentient beings, we don't have any time and we don't really help them. So the Buddha was very different. The Buddha did not do that. The Buddha actually when giving rise to the attitude of enlightenment, he followed through. That is to say he actually really helped others.
If we have to reduce our sleeping time for three hours, meaning sleep three hours less every night, it's too much for us, no? We can't... That's too great hardship for us.
So the Buddhas are very different than us. Just to help a single sentient being who has been reborn in hell, the Buddha will abide in hell. Just for a single sentient being in order to help them the Buddha will abide in hell for many eons.
So just recall that. What kind of attitude, what kind of courage and fortitude a Buddha must have. No?
So the Buddha is somebody who has perfected all the enlightened activities. For incalculable eons he has purified his obscurations and has gathered accumulations and has during all those lifetimes perfected his aspiration prayers, always made aspiration prayers for the welfare of all sentient beings and has in this way brought countless sentient beings to maturation, has ripened their mind stream and finally also has through these trainings and these practices manifested many pure Buddha fields.
Therefore he has attained the great wisdom body that is free from all stains.
For those sentient beings who had no protector, he became the protector. For those sentient beings who needed a savior, he became the savior.
For those who elect refuge, he became the object of refuge.
He is the great unacquainted friend.
So what does it mean? Usually when we become friends we need to acquaint ourselves with each other, get to know each other, befriend each other, but the Buddha becomes our friend without having to befriend him.
For his own benefit he has attained dharmakāya, and dharmakāya is endowed with stainless, with undefiled qualities. For instance the ten powers and the four types of fearlessness.
An example for all these undefiled qualities the Buddha possesses is the ocean.
The Buddha is endowed with great wisdom that knows the three times at the same time in a single moment.
And with his enlightened speech that is endowed with the sixty aspects of melodious speech, he is able to teach the Dharma to all sentient beings.
So we can't really teach the birds, don't we? But the Buddha is able to teach the dharma to the birds.
The Buddha's enlightened form is endowed with the thirty two major marks and the eighty minor marks. So therefore when we merely see the Buddha's enlightened form something happens in our mind. It's a... What happens is that we become liberated by merely seeing the Buddha's form.
It is said if we were to talk about the qualities, the enlightened qualities of a single hair of the Buddha, bodily hair of the Buddha, or a single light ray that streams forth from the Buddha's body. If one were to explain the countless qualities, for many eons, there would be even this long time, the time would be not sufficient, it would take longer time to explain those amazing qualities.
So now imagine, if we recall the Buddha's form, see the Buddha's form, if we hear the Buddha's speech, recall the Buddha's enlightened qualities, make offerings to the Buddha, with faith and devotion, it is needless to mention that these types of recollections and activities, actions will bring about boundless benefits.
Even if we were to see only a thangka of the Buddha, see the statue of the Buddha, hear the Buddha's name, that in itself, it says, will become the cause for us to become enlightened in the future.
So if we encounter the Buddha in this way, either seeing the Buddha's form or hearing the Buddha's name, then we will not fall into the three lower realms, if we don't practice, even if we don't practice, we won't fall into the three lower realms. Samsara will come to an end, through this very condition.
Then, Mipham, he quotes some citations from the sūtra of the white lotus sūtra of compassion,
So to focus or visualize the Buddha and with a focus of mind and toss a flower into the air. Or that we um...
Or that you give rise to a really, a mind filled with faith towards the Buddha.
So the Buddha himself taught that if we form a connection with the Buddha in this way, focusing on him, tossing a flower, or just giving rise to faith when encountering the Buddha, even if an animal does so, it will become enlightened, it will a soon pass into, it will reach nirvana.
So why are we talking about this? The reason is that the Treasury of Blessing is a practice of Buddha Shakyamuni, is a recollection of the Buddha's qualities.
So the countless Arhats and Bodhisattvas on this planet,
if we would make offerings to them, then compared to that, it would be much more meritorious and beneficial to merely encounter the Buddha and feel faith folding our hands in front of our heart, and feel faith towards the Buddha.
So why is this? Why is it beneficial to give rise to faith towards the Buddha? Well, the Buddha is endowed with inconceivable qualities, the inconceivable qualities of enlightenment, of loving-kindness, compassion, enlightened activity, enlightened wisdom. And if we feel faith towards the Buddha's enlightened qualities, towards the Buddha, Then, um... towards something that is inconceivable in nature, the result that we receive from that is also, becomes inconceivable.
So as was mentioned before, if we merely hear the Buddha's name, we will not fall into the lower realms. We will sooner or later become enlightened, reach nirvana.
So in order to illustrate that, Mipham Rinpoche here gives a story.
So once upon a time,
there were lots of people, they looked for, they tried to find something which is called the wish-fulfilling jewel. And as the story goes, those wish-fulfilling jewels, they were found somewhere wide far, wide out in the ocean on an island.
So when they were... So this is precisely what happened. So a ship took off, went far out into the ocean, and then suddenly it was attacked by,
by, by, once again, it's coming, sea monsters.
So maybe these days we would call those sea monsters probably crocodiles. Maybe a little different from these days' crocodiles. Maybe they were bigger, yeah.
And immediately all people on the ship, they really became extremely distressed and lamented and feared for their life, and were really quite scared.
The captain of the ship, he had faith in the Buddha, and immediately recalled the three jewels, and especially took refuge in the Buddha, and also made all others call out for the Buddha and have faith in the Buddha.
So they all called out, saying, I prostrate, I bow down to the Buddha.
So that sound was heard by the sea monster, and the sea monster, when hearing the word, I prostrate, I bow down to the Buddha, became really delighted. And all the intention to actually harm the merchants on the ship was pacified.
So all the obstacles for the merchants became pacified, and they were able to return safely home.
And the sea monster, when it heard the name of the Buddha, and I prostrate to the Buddha, it thought that I don't want to engage in a negative act of harming others, of killing others, I would give that up and make that firm commitment. And then when the sea monster finally died, it was reborn as a human being. And as a human being, it had the chance then to, to meet the Buddha's teachings and become ordained, and he then became an arhat.
So it's important to understand that when we hear the name Buddha, it's not like immediately off we go to the pure realm and we become enlightened, it's not like that. But something happens, it becomes a condition that will sooner or later make us attain enlightenment.
So in this way we have to understand that the yoga of Buddha Shakyamuni is extremely powerful. If we focus on the form of the Buddha, on the enlightened form, on his enlightened speech, on his enlightened mind, then the benefits that result from that very meditation, be it samatha or vipassanā meditation, are really limitless.
So first of all, in the commentary here it says, when it comes to the Dharma, there are so many different levels and stages.
So when practicing the Dharma, of course it is extremely beneficial to engage in virtuous deeds with our body and speech. They are extremely precious. But nevertheless, as a Dharma practitioner, we should not be stuck only on that very level, we need more.
So when we talk about the Dharma practitioner, it means that this very person is endowed with discipline, but also trains in samadhi, in meditative absorption.
Especially a Dharma practitioner is somebody who listens to the teachings of the Buddha and then immediately applies them, recollects them.
So when it comes to our mind, how is our mind? Our mind is always in movement, there is always something happening, isn't it?
So if we think back, we have to take into consideration that we lived countless lives in the past, countless. And in all those countless lives we had a mind, didn't we? There was a mind, and this mind has the nature of being always in movement. And imagine all these countless thought states, mental states, inconceivable many thoughts that we thought in the past lives, how many we had actually?
And what was the result of all those many thoughts that we thought? What was it? Well, it was likely not very good, no? And actually most of the time that flickering mind of ours, it produces so much negativity, so much suffering.
So it is important to think like this and that this has happened in the past, that we thought countless thoughts and the result of that was merely suffering, was a misery. So therefore right now we should take a good look at our situation right now. And we know if we were to continue in the same way as before, the result would be the same, just more suffering, a lot of suffering. So therefore I need to do something about my situation right now, I need to change it. The way I change it is that I see clearly and acknowledge clearly that it is my mind that is so flickering, so unstable. That countless, pointless thoughts arise from moment to moment. And I need to overcome this enemy, I need to undo it, I need to completely do away with the enemy of dualistic thinking.
So having made that promise then we think that casting away all those thoughts, the only thought that I will have, the only mental state that I will train in from now on, is I will focus on the Buddha. I will take the Buddha as the object of my meditation, the Buddha's mind, the Buddha's speech, the Buddha's body, and this from now on will be the only object of my thoughts, of my mind.
So if we are able to think these thoughts, take into account these considerations that were just explained, and really train your mind in that way, really give rise to that firm commitment as was explained right now, then before practicing the Buddha Shakyamuni practice, then your practice will really flourish and will become really good.
If we are able to think in that way, then our mind in fact turns toward the Dharma.
And then all the instructions that are written here in the scriptures, they will become our path.
If we then travel the path authentically, what happens is that our obscurations will become purified and that we... and all the qualities of the path and bhumis of the Bodhisattva bhumis will gradually unfold and begin to blossom.
And finally, we will become indistinguishable from Buddha Shakyamuni.
So what was explained in the last two days and today are kind of the preliminaries that we need to train in the preparation, that we need to train in before we begin with the Buddha Shakyamuni practice.
So some people asked me to explain something about the offerings here, and when you take a look at the offerings that are prepared in front of the bodhisattvas, they are extremely unelaborate.
So the usual offering that we make is the offering which is in front of the stupa of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and the photo of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. Here you see the sevenfold arrangement of the offerings, of the seven offerings.
So you start to arrange the offerings from the left side, no wait, yea left, when you stand in front, no?
From the object, the offering side, it starts from the right side. Yea. So first two bowls with water.
So the first two offering bowls, they are filled with water. The first water is called the bathing water. The drinking water and the second is called the bathing water.
The third is the flower offering.
The fourth is the incense offering.
The fifth is the light offering.
And we are now number sixth yea? Is the scented oil or perfume offering.
And the seventh is the food offering.
So if you don't have the shalze-torma, the food-torma to offer, you can also use some kind of organic biscuit or a fruit or anything else, chocolate. For you this is to much complicate but you still like to follow tradition, then you, either you buy or you can get some beautiful glass small cup with seven pieces with filled water also fine.
And how you perform, simple way, when you... first, number one, very important, offering sets are also in nice order. Means not too much up there or everything in order, not too much big gap, yeah? So then you begin with from the object side, from the right to your offer, like this. You go like this. And then when you clean, then you take from the left side of the object, the clean. So this is...
So offerings, making offerings is an antidote against miserliness and stinginess. Miserliness and stinginess means holding onto things, being attached, and giving away something as an antidote to that.
So you decorate offerings and generally also saying, the altar, if possible is higher than you. For example if you are sitting in your bed and doing practice and altar is lower than your bed If possible, if you have condition, make higher.
And... And also, if possible, also when you do meditation, your altar, special statue, whatever you have, and your face-to-face will be very good, if there are options, yeah?
So having arranged the offerings, then you should do three prostrations.
So most of you know how to do prostrations, don't you?
So the way we prostrate here in the temple is called the five limbs prostration.
So that's the sūtra way of doing prostrations. In the tantric way, we make different prostrations. We prostrate in a way that we are fully stretched out on the floor.
So if you know how to prostrate really well and then fold your hands in front of your heart, then this in itself will give you a really calm state of mind.
Generally, a prostration becomes an antidote against pride.
But in fact, if you are able to do prostrations really well authentically, then they become much more than just an antidote against pride. They become real meditation. So some are new and the Rinpoche don't have time to talk these kind of things, so I'm just trying to talk, any new.
Also teaching says, if possible, you have everything and conditions are good, then say do prostration from the front of the statue, not from the side. Yeah. Like here, when we are big gathering, of course everybody cannot do here. So people do prostration here, here, everywhere. But when you are alone, you are home, then don't do like your statues here, but don't do prostration here. If you are in a space, do from the front of the statue.
So when you then make prostrations, you imagine that in the sky before you, in the space before you, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are present.
And you do together prostrations with all sentient beings, you guide them. And in addition to that, you emanate and all sentient beings emanate countless bodies with which we then make prostrations.
So we do the five-limb prostration.
So then we fold first of all our two hands in front of our heart center, and that symbolizes the unity of skillful method and wisdom.
And then we leave an empty space when we fold our hands, we don't, they are not flat pressed together, and this symbolizes a jewel.
And the middle fingers don't touch, they don't touch that symbolizes that the gesture you make is like a lotus flower that is about to blossom.
So then we touch with our folded hands the crown of our head, as was illustrated just now by Lama la. And then you think that, so this way, gesture, may all the negative deeds that I have committed with my body, all the negative deeds of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, may all of it become purified.
Next you fold your hands in front of your throat center and you make the firm aspiration, may through this way gesture all the negative deeds that I have committed with my speech, such as idle gossip, harsh words, divisive talk and lying, may all of that become purified. And then thinking like that, you also feel that now they have become purified.
And then you fold your hands in front of your heart center making the firm aspiration, that through this very gesture may all the negative deeds that I have committed with my mind of covetousness, ill will and wrong view, may all of it become purified. And then again you with a firm sense of conviction, you think now it all has become purified.
Then having completed that, we then bow down and touch with our five limbs the ground. And our five limbs are the two knees, our two hands and the forehead.
When this happens, when we touch with our five limbs the ground, we then make the firm aspiration, may all the five negative emotions be realized as the five wisdoms.
May I actualize and realize the five wisdoms.
And then we think I have realized them, I have actualized the five wisdoms.
And this you then repeat three times.
And then when we rise the third time and we have completed the three types, the three prostrations, then we again, we conclude the prostrations by touching on on top of the crown of our head, throat center and heart center. And then we think at that time that now my body has transformed into the enlightened body and my speech has transformed into the enlightened speech and my mind has transformed into the enlightened mind.
So if you are able to really do that genuinely, just as it was explained right now, then...
then your mind will become so calm from that gesture, it will become also so soft and gentle.
So from this, receiving those explanations, we can understand that prostration is not merely a tradition that we have to follow, but in fact it is a practice that is really beneficial for ourselves.
If we don't make prostrations with these pure recollections in mind, then it is a tradition, no? It's merely we follow a tradition if we just do it mindlessly. Or it's just we think it's our duty, we have to do it as good Buddhists.
But when we do so, when we just do prostrations without really thinking much, then what happens in this very moment is that we and the Dharma become separate entities and this is a very precarious situation.
Because what happens if we and the Dharma become separate, we can never change. The Dharma cannot change us.
And if the Dharma has no effect on us, that is to say, if it cannot change us, sooner or later we will give rise to wrong beliefs and mistaken beliefs.
And that's really easy to understand, no? For instance, if you do prostrations without actually thinking much, just doing it because you think it's perhaps your duty, then you will never experience the benefits that result from doing genuine prostrations. And not experiencing the benefits that come from doing genuine prostrations, you will think after some time, well, it doesn't work. Prostrations don't work and they don't do anything good to me. It must be all a lie, what they say, what they teach. It's not true. So think, prostration is not for me.
All the 84,000 sections of the Buddha's teachings are all taught for us, for all the different individuals that abound in this world, that exist in this world.
I like, I like bodhicitta, but I don't like refuge, so I take out refuge somewhere. I like mental offering, but I don't like confessions, so I take out.
So there's all the different teachings that are given and all the practices in order for us to change our mind, that our mind becomes transformed. And if we do them, if we follow through that is to say, if we really do them as they are taught, as they are explained, we'll experience the benefits.
So if we do prostration, as it was explained right now, in this genuine way, then first of all what will happen is that the obstacles for our session will be all dispelled. The obstacles and also our mind will become very soft and gentle and will receive the blessings. So our mind has been transformed, it already has changed from, from doing prostrations and then we become really open and ready for the session.
And we also, I forgot to say, purify our obscurations by doing prostrations. And by doing so, our experience changes, our experience has become transformed. And that is already meditation, that's practice.
In the tantric sādhanas or practices, there is a practice which is called the downpour of blessings, which is really precious and important.
And in the drupchens, in the great practices, we always, in each session, we receive that, or practice that downpour of blessings.
So what does this downpour of blessings really do? What good is it for? Well, what happens is that everything through that very process becomes pure.
And if everything becomes pure, then what happens, what arises or manifests through this very process is that the good fortune or the luck for receiving the siddhis occurs.
If you, for instance, do a retreat, and then we, in a retreat hut, we think, oh, I'm in a retreat hut, this is just an ordinary place, this is just, everything we regard, everything is ordinary. Then through that ordinary perception, what happens is that we'll not receive the siddhis we'll not receive accomplishment, or that the kind of luck of the siddhis will degenerate through such a perception.
So if we...
if we do the prostrations, as was explained before, what happens is that our body, speech, and mind becomes completely transformed, not ordinary anymore, everything becomes pure. Our mind, our body and speech become the enlightened body, speech and mind. And um...
and then with that purity in mind, we then sit down and begin our practice session, and then then everything can really go well from there. Even just start to sit down in your meditation cushion, you feel so comfortable, you feel so kind, relaxed. Otherwise, just sitting, our worry is, how will go my meditation sessions.
Usually our mind is so narrow and confined, we always have all kinds of worries, how will my meditation session go? Will it go well or not well? But if we do the prostrations in that way, as explained before, everything will go well because you have already purified everything. You just sit down without any worries or concerns.
As was mentioned before, that if we merely think of the Buddha, a single moment, and feel faith and devotion toward the Buddha, then this in itself purifies our obscurations in an inconceivable way, just that very process, that very short action. Now think about doing prostrations, doing prostrations really in that genuine way, as was explained before, recollecting all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in front of you, and with faith and devotion, you then bow down, purifying your body, speech and mind. So this, and not only that, at the same time what you keep in mind is that you are doing prostrations together with all sentient beings. You are transforming your body into countless bodies, and with these multiplied bodies you then make prostrations to the Buddha. So at that very moment also you posses bodhicitta because you are doing it together with all sentient beings. So this kind of, this is an extremely profound and vast practice, and this really purifies our obscurations in a very vast way.
There are some people in Tibet who all their life, all what they did was just prostrations.
And the late Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, he was really really tall and it was very difficult for him to move, but he did every day at least 50 or 100 prostrations.
All take into account the example of Trulshik Rinpoche, who even when he was really really old, he did every day 200 prostrations.
Only at the very end of his life did he reduce the amount of prostrations, then he did fewer, but otherwise he always did 200. I forgot to say before that if you then do the prostrations in that way, then really your practice will go extremely well. There is no, you don't need to have any worries. It will be extremely successful.
So please do the prostrations really well, especially when you are at home alone. You have in the, at home, in your private sphere, you can really take care and do them well. Now when we are all together, it's difficult to, to... have so much time to do them, but at home please do them like that.
So if prostrations were not that very important, then all the masters in the past who had such high realization like the vast sky, why would they do so many prostrations? They wouldn't waste their time like that, no?
So we do three prostrations with bottom of our heart. It's not just because you are Buddhist, you have to do, not like that. Or this is like tradition, not like that. We need to do bottom of our heart three times, nicely, according to your own traditions. Yea. And all the Buddhists they do prostrations, but according to their own, they have traditions, but according to that we do nicely and very very good.
So tomorrow I will talk a little bit about...
So tomorrow I will give some brief explanations about the body posture. And then we will go into the sādhana, into the Buddha Shakyamuni practice.
And especially when it comes to practicing the Dharma, it's important that we understand that the Dharma has to be practiced with our mind.
Where this is the case it is so often, so often people forget that the Dharma has to be practiced with one's mind. And the belief that Dharma practice actually comes down to doing something with your body and your speech. And when forgetting about that, then it seems like that we do practice the Dharma because we are doing something, but nevertheless there is no kind of improvement when it comes to our mind. We do not progress in any way.
So first of all it's important to understand, any type of movement or actions that we do with our body and speech are conditions. They are not the cause. The cause for Dharma practice is the mind.
Just take the example of putting a rice... you want that the rice plant grows forth, but you don't really plant the rice seed. So if there is no seed in the ground then also nothing will grow from it, isn't it? Because the cause is absent. It's so easy to put a lot of water and fertilizer and whatever on that piece of earth, nothing will grow from it because there is no seed present.
Let us take another example. Let us look at it from another perspective. Imagine that there is a seed present, but you lack the conditions. That is to say you don't put any fertilizer, there is no moisture, no water. The seed may grow into a plant, but it will take a long time. So the conditions, that is to say the fertilizer, the moisture and so forth are all really important. In this way the physical and the verbal actions when practicing the Dharma are also really important.
So when it comes to the practice of the secret Mantrayāna, we have to understand that there are so many methods, so many skill full means and they are all good conditions. They are all conditions that we need. So for instance, the practice of the inner subtle body of learning how to utilize the key points of your inner nadis, the channels, the wind, the essences, the bindus. All of that is extremely important and there are extremely good conditions and skillful methods. If you practice them with the cause, that is to say while having devotion, compassion and renunciation in your mind while developing those qualities, you will by combining them together quickly reach the result of enlightenment.
So therefore the Buddha pointed out that we have to understand that when it comes to virtuous actions and negative actions, non-virtuous actions, that they are not just mere reflections. In fact, whether or not something is virtuous or non-virtuous comes about based on our motivation.
So we all know what it means to have a negative motivation, isn't it? That is something that is a state of mind that is intoxicated by negative emotions, we are influenced by negative emotions. And when such a negative state of mind overwhelms us, what we naturally do is inflict harm on others. And that is negative, that is unwholesome or non-virtuous.
For instance, or sometimes it may be the case that some actions that we train or that we engage in are actually beneficial for some time, but in the end they cause a lot of suffering. So while they are in the outset or in the beginning beneficial, they nevertheless become non-virtuous, they cause suffering, so therefore they are to be abandoned.
So what is a positive, a virtuous motivation? It is something that helps others, something that is beneficial, not only ultimately but also on a temporary level, it is always good, it is always beneficial for others. That's a positive state of mind, something that is beneficial.
So it's so important that we always take a good look at ourselves and examine our motivation.
It may be the case that five minutes ago we had such a positive, such a virtuous motivation, but then five minutes passed and then positive motivation also has gone, it has disappeared.
Why is that? It is simply because we have not yet abandoned negative emotions.
So this subtle latent negative emotions are constantly present in our mind and therefore they can manifest and arise any moment as gross, very strong negative emotions.
Also we always encounter conditions or we encounter objects that really stimulate our negative emotions.
Also our mind is influenced by ignorance, stupidity, and this is precisely the reason for why we have so many mistaken beliefs. And due to these mistaken beliefs, when we meet with certain conditions, then negative emotions, negative and un-virtuous mental states arise in our mind. And this is precisely the reason for why Rinpoche always encourages us to be really conscientious and careful.
There is a saying, a Tibetan saying that goes the following, better than just reciting mantras while having all kinds of thoughts, virtuous or non-virtuous. It is better to sing a song with a virtuous state of mind.
So we all have the intention, isn't it, to practice the Dharma. We want to do it really well, genuinely. That's our intention. When we have that intention, because of our negative habitual patterns, we often don't follow through. It doesn't really work out. We forget what we really wanted to do. And although we started out engaging in some virtuous actions in the end, they don't turn out so well. So therefore it's so important that we again and again give rise to proper motivation. Be really careful about it. Look within yourself and examine your motivation. So Rinpoche stressed precisely this point in his teachings today. So when summarizing his teachings, this is precisely the point to which everything comes down to. Give rise and make sure that you always give rise to a pure motivation.
The term that we translate as motivation in Tibetan is kun long, and kun means many.
That refers to that there are just so many thoughts that can appear in our mind that we can think.
And long means to arise, to manifest. And there's...
And there's one among all those mental states and thoughts that we select.
So which one is that state of mind? Which one do we select? It is the precious attitude of bodhicitta.
So what does this practically really mean? It means that when we do a meditation session, when we meditate, it's so important that first of all we give rise to a pure motivation. That we do it, we want to meditate for the welfare of all sentient beings, to help other sentient beings.
So yesterday we received some explanations of Mipham Rinpoche's commentary on the Treasury of Blessings. And in his teachings he explains very clearly that we need to, before we start out to practice the yoga of Buddha Shakyamuni, the practice of Buddha Shakyamuni, that we need to give rise to a faith that knows its own reason. And with that type of faith then we recollect the enlightened body, the enlightened speech and the enlightened mind of the Buddha. If we do that, our practice will become very successful (*successful).
When we talk about faith, it's really important that, that faith is based on a reason. We know why we have faith.
And here it's good to differentiate faith from devotion. Devotion is a quality that we need to give rise in the teachings of the secret Mantrayāna. And devotion is not to be examined, you don't need to have a reason for why you have devotion. It's just you need to feel devotion, you need to give rise to pure perception. And that is the extraordinary quality of the secret Mantrayāna that we need to train in.
So Mipham Rinpoche explains that how do we develop this type of faith when we need to first of all understand the qualities of the Buddha.
So in this world, a Buddha has appeared and this Buddha is known as Buddha Shakyamuni.
So did the Buddha just appear out of the blue? No. There are certain causes and conditions that made the Buddha appear, that made the Buddha Shakyamuni awaken to supreme and perfect enlightenment. The causes and conditions that led to it are the accumulations of merit that he has gathered in his previous lives and the purification of his defilement’s that he trained in his past lives.
So the Buddha gave rise to the attitude of enlightenment to bodhicitta countless eons ago. And we have to understand that the Buddha was somebody who followed through. That is to say he made a resolve, he made a commitment and really embodied that very commitment. It's not like how we do it, isn't it? We all have that sincere wish, we make it again and again, give rise to the motivation. I want to establish each and every single sentient being in a state of enlightenment. I really want to help everybody. I want to help all sentient beings. But then when it comes to actually doing something for other sentient beings, we don't have any time and we don't really help them. So the Buddha was very different. The Buddha did not do that. The Buddha actually when giving rise to the attitude of enlightenment, he followed through. That is to say he actually really helped others.
If we have to reduce our sleeping time for three hours, meaning sleep three hours less every night, it's too much for us, no? We can't... That's too great hardship for us.
So the Buddhas are very different than us. Just to help a single sentient being who has been reborn in hell, the Buddha will abide in hell. Just for a single sentient being in order to help them the Buddha will abide in hell for many eons.
So just recall that. What kind of attitude, what kind of courage and fortitude a Buddha must have. No?
So the Buddha is somebody who has perfected all the enlightened activities. For incalculable eons he has purified his obscurations and has gathered accumulations and has during all those lifetimes perfected his aspiration prayers, always made aspiration prayers for the welfare of all sentient beings and has in this way brought countless sentient beings to maturation, has ripened their mind stream and finally also has through these trainings and these practices manifested many pure Buddha fields.
Therefore he has attained the great wisdom body that is free from all stains.
For those sentient beings who had no protector, he became the protector. For those sentient beings who needed a savior, he became the savior.
For those who elect refuge, he became the object of refuge.
He is the great unacquainted friend.
So what does it mean? Usually when we become friends we need to acquaint ourselves with each other, get to know each other, befriend each other, but the Buddha becomes our friend without having to befriend him.
For his own benefit he has attained dharmakāya, and dharmakāya is endowed with stainless, with undefiled qualities. For instance the ten powers and the four types of fearlessness.
An example for all these undefiled qualities the Buddha possesses is the ocean.
The Buddha is endowed with great wisdom that knows the three times at the same time in a single moment.
And with his enlightened speech that is endowed with the sixty aspects of melodious speech, he is able to teach the Dharma to all sentient beings.
So we can't really teach the birds, don't we? But the Buddha is able to teach the dharma to the birds.
The Buddha's enlightened form is endowed with the thirty two major marks and the eighty minor marks. So therefore when we merely see the Buddha's enlightened form something happens in our mind. It's a... What happens is that we become liberated by merely seeing the Buddha's form.
It is said if we were to talk about the qualities, the enlightened qualities of a single hair of the Buddha, bodily hair of the Buddha, or a single light ray that streams forth from the Buddha's body. If one were to explain the countless qualities, for many eons, there would be even this long time, the time would be not sufficient, it would take longer time to explain those amazing qualities.
So now imagine, if we recall the Buddha's form, see the Buddha's form, if we hear the Buddha's speech, recall the Buddha's enlightened qualities, make offerings to the Buddha, with faith and devotion, it is needless to mention that these types of recollections and activities, actions will bring about boundless benefits.
Even if we were to see only a thangka of the Buddha, see the statue of the Buddha, hear the Buddha's name, that in itself, it says, will become the cause for us to become enlightened in the future.
So if we encounter the Buddha in this way, either seeing the Buddha's form or hearing the Buddha's name, then we will not fall into the three lower realms, if we don't practice, even if we don't practice, we won't fall into the three lower realms. Samsara will come to an end, through this very condition.
Then, Mipham, he quotes some citations from the sūtra of the white lotus sūtra of compassion,
So to focus or visualize the Buddha and with a focus of mind and toss a flower into the air. Or that we um...
Or that you give rise to a really, a mind filled with faith towards the Buddha.
So the Buddha himself taught that if we form a connection with the Buddha in this way, focusing on him, tossing a flower, or just giving rise to faith when encountering the Buddha, even if an animal does so, it will become enlightened, it will a soon pass into, it will reach nirvana.
So why are we talking about this? The reason is that the Treasury of Blessing is a practice of Buddha Shakyamuni, is a recollection of the Buddha's qualities.
So the countless Arhats and Bodhisattvas on this planet,
if we would make offerings to them, then compared to that, it would be much more meritorious and beneficial to merely encounter the Buddha and feel faith folding our hands in front of our heart, and feel faith towards the Buddha.
So why is this? Why is it beneficial to give rise to faith towards the Buddha? Well, the Buddha is endowed with inconceivable qualities, the inconceivable qualities of enlightenment, of loving-kindness, compassion, enlightened activity, enlightened wisdom. And if we feel faith towards the Buddha's enlightened qualities, towards the Buddha, Then, um... towards something that is inconceivable in nature, the result that we receive from that is also, becomes inconceivable.
So as was mentioned before, if we merely hear the Buddha's name, we will not fall into the lower realms. We will sooner or later become enlightened, reach nirvana.
So in order to illustrate that, Mipham Rinpoche here gives a story.
So once upon a time,
there were lots of people, they looked for, they tried to find something which is called the wish-fulfilling jewel. And as the story goes, those wish-fulfilling jewels, they were found somewhere wide far, wide out in the ocean on an island.
So when they were... So this is precisely what happened. So a ship took off, went far out into the ocean, and then suddenly it was attacked by,
by, by, once again, it's coming, sea monsters.
So maybe these days we would call those sea monsters probably crocodiles. Maybe a little different from these days' crocodiles. Maybe they were bigger, yeah.
And immediately all people on the ship, they really became extremely distressed and lamented and feared for their life, and were really quite scared.
The captain of the ship, he had faith in the Buddha, and immediately recalled the three jewels, and especially took refuge in the Buddha, and also made all others call out for the Buddha and have faith in the Buddha.
So they all called out, saying, I prostrate, I bow down to the Buddha.
So that sound was heard by the sea monster, and the sea monster, when hearing the word, I prostrate, I bow down to the Buddha, became really delighted. And all the intention to actually harm the merchants on the ship was pacified.
So all the obstacles for the merchants became pacified, and they were able to return safely home.
And the sea monster, when it heard the name of the Buddha, and I prostrate to the Buddha, it thought that I don't want to engage in a negative act of harming others, of killing others, I would give that up and make that firm commitment. And then when the sea monster finally died, it was reborn as a human being. And as a human being, it had the chance then to, to meet the Buddha's teachings and become ordained, and he then became an arhat.
So it's important to understand that when we hear the name Buddha, it's not like immediately off we go to the pure realm and we become enlightened, it's not like that. But something happens, it becomes a condition that will sooner or later make us attain enlightenment.
So in this way we have to understand that the yoga of Buddha Shakyamuni is extremely powerful. If we focus on the form of the Buddha, on the enlightened form, on his enlightened speech, on his enlightened mind, then the benefits that result from that very meditation, be it samatha or vipassanā meditation, are really limitless.
So first of all, in the commentary here it says, when it comes to the Dharma, there are so many different levels and stages.
So when practicing the Dharma, of course it is extremely beneficial to engage in virtuous deeds with our body and speech. They are extremely precious. But nevertheless, as a Dharma practitioner, we should not be stuck only on that very level, we need more.
So when we talk about the Dharma practitioner, it means that this very person is endowed with discipline, but also trains in samadhi, in meditative absorption.
Especially a Dharma practitioner is somebody who listens to the teachings of the Buddha and then immediately applies them, recollects them.
So when it comes to our mind, how is our mind? Our mind is always in movement, there is always something happening, isn't it?
So if we think back, we have to take into consideration that we lived countless lives in the past, countless. And in all those countless lives we had a mind, didn't we? There was a mind, and this mind has the nature of being always in movement. And imagine all these countless thought states, mental states, inconceivable many thoughts that we thought in the past lives, how many we had actually?
And what was the result of all those many thoughts that we thought? What was it? Well, it was likely not very good, no? And actually most of the time that flickering mind of ours, it produces so much negativity, so much suffering.
So it is important to think like this and that this has happened in the past, that we thought countless thoughts and the result of that was merely suffering, was a misery. So therefore right now we should take a good look at our situation right now. And we know if we were to continue in the same way as before, the result would be the same, just more suffering, a lot of suffering. So therefore I need to do something about my situation right now, I need to change it. The way I change it is that I see clearly and acknowledge clearly that it is my mind that is so flickering, so unstable. That countless, pointless thoughts arise from moment to moment. And I need to overcome this enemy, I need to undo it, I need to completely do away with the enemy of dualistic thinking.
So having made that promise then we think that casting away all those thoughts, the only thought that I will have, the only mental state that I will train in from now on, is I will focus on the Buddha. I will take the Buddha as the object of my meditation, the Buddha's mind, the Buddha's speech, the Buddha's body, and this from now on will be the only object of my thoughts, of my mind.
So if we are able to think these thoughts, take into account these considerations that were just explained, and really train your mind in that way, really give rise to that firm commitment as was explained right now, then before practicing the Buddha Shakyamuni practice, then your practice will really flourish and will become really good.
If we are able to think in that way, then our mind in fact turns toward the Dharma.
And then all the instructions that are written here in the scriptures, they will become our path.
If we then travel the path authentically, what happens is that our obscurations will become purified and that we... and all the qualities of the path and bhumis of the Bodhisattva bhumis will gradually unfold and begin to blossom.
And finally, we will become indistinguishable from Buddha Shakyamuni.
So what was explained in the last two days and today are kind of the preliminaries that we need to train in the preparation, that we need to train in before we begin with the Buddha Shakyamuni practice.
So some people asked me to explain something about the offerings here, and when you take a look at the offerings that are prepared in front of the bodhisattvas, they are extremely unelaborate.
So the usual offering that we make is the offering which is in front of the stupa of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and the photo of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. Here you see the sevenfold arrangement of the offerings, of the seven offerings.
So you start to arrange the offerings from the left side, no wait, yea left, when you stand in front, no?
From the object, the offering side, it starts from the right side. Yea. So first two bowls with water.
So the first two offering bowls, they are filled with water. The first water is called the bathing water. The drinking water and the second is called the bathing water.
The third is the flower offering.
The fourth is the incense offering.
The fifth is the light offering.
And we are now number sixth yea? Is the scented oil or perfume offering.
And the seventh is the food offering.
So if you don't have the shalze-torma, the food-torma to offer, you can also use some kind of organic biscuit or a fruit or anything else, chocolate. For you this is to much complicate but you still like to follow tradition, then you, either you buy or you can get some beautiful glass small cup with seven pieces with filled water also fine.
And how you perform, simple way, when you... first, number one, very important, offering sets are also in nice order. Means not too much up there or everything in order, not too much big gap, yeah? So then you begin with from the object side, from the right to your offer, like this. You go like this. And then when you clean, then you take from the left side of the object, the clean. So this is...
So offerings, making offerings is an antidote against miserliness and stinginess. Miserliness and stinginess means holding onto things, being attached, and giving away something as an antidote to that.
So you decorate offerings and generally also saying, the altar, if possible is higher than you. For example if you are sitting in your bed and doing practice and altar is lower than your bed If possible, if you have condition, make higher.
And... And also, if possible, also when you do meditation, your altar, special statue, whatever you have, and your face-to-face will be very good, if there are options, yeah?
So having arranged the offerings, then you should do three prostrations.
So most of you know how to do prostrations, don't you?
So the way we prostrate here in the temple is called the five limbs prostration.
So that's the sūtra way of doing prostrations. In the tantric way, we make different prostrations. We prostrate in a way that we are fully stretched out on the floor.
So if you know how to prostrate really well and then fold your hands in front of your heart, then this in itself will give you a really calm state of mind.
Generally, a prostration becomes an antidote against pride.
But in fact, if you are able to do prostrations really well authentically, then they become much more than just an antidote against pride. They become real meditation. So some are new and the Rinpoche don't have time to talk these kind of things, so I'm just trying to talk, any new.
Also teaching says, if possible, you have everything and conditions are good, then say do prostration from the front of the statue, not from the side. Yeah. Like here, when we are big gathering, of course everybody cannot do here. So people do prostration here, here, everywhere. But when you are alone, you are home, then don't do like your statues here, but don't do prostration here. If you are in a space, do from the front of the statue.
So when you then make prostrations, you imagine that in the sky before you, in the space before you, all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are present.
And you do together prostrations with all sentient beings, you guide them. And in addition to that, you emanate and all sentient beings emanate countless bodies with which we then make prostrations.
So we do the five-limb prostration.
So then we fold first of all our two hands in front of our heart center, and that symbolizes the unity of skillful method and wisdom.
And then we leave an empty space when we fold our hands, we don't, they are not flat pressed together, and this symbolizes a jewel.
And the middle fingers don't touch, they don't touch that symbolizes that the gesture you make is like a lotus flower that is about to blossom.
So then we touch with our folded hands the crown of our head, as was illustrated just now by Lama la. And then you think that, so this way, gesture, may all the negative deeds that I have committed with my body, all the negative deeds of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, may all of it become purified.
Next you fold your hands in front of your throat center and you make the firm aspiration, may through this way gesture all the negative deeds that I have committed with my speech, such as idle gossip, harsh words, divisive talk and lying, may all of that become purified. And then thinking like that, you also feel that now they have become purified.
And then you fold your hands in front of your heart center making the firm aspiration, that through this very gesture may all the negative deeds that I have committed with my mind of covetousness, ill will and wrong view, may all of it become purified. And then again you with a firm sense of conviction, you think now it all has become purified.
Then having completed that, we then bow down and touch with our five limbs the ground. And our five limbs are the two knees, our two hands and the forehead.
When this happens, when we touch with our five limbs the ground, we then make the firm aspiration, may all the five negative emotions be realized as the five wisdoms.
May I actualize and realize the five wisdoms.
And then we think I have realized them, I have actualized the five wisdoms.
And this you then repeat three times.
And then when we rise the third time and we have completed the three types, the three prostrations, then we again, we conclude the prostrations by touching on on top of the crown of our head, throat center and heart center. And then we think at that time that now my body has transformed into the enlightened body and my speech has transformed into the enlightened speech and my mind has transformed into the enlightened mind.
So if you are able to really do that genuinely, just as it was explained right now, then...
then your mind will become so calm from that gesture, it will become also so soft and gentle.
So from this, receiving those explanations, we can understand that prostration is not merely a tradition that we have to follow, but in fact it is a practice that is really beneficial for ourselves.
If we don't make prostrations with these pure recollections in mind, then it is a tradition, no? It's merely we follow a tradition if we just do it mindlessly. Or it's just we think it's our duty, we have to do it as good Buddhists.
But when we do so, when we just do prostrations without really thinking much, then what happens in this very moment is that we and the Dharma become separate entities and this is a very precarious situation.
Because what happens if we and the Dharma become separate, we can never change. The Dharma cannot change us.
And if the Dharma has no effect on us, that is to say, if it cannot change us, sooner or later we will give rise to wrong beliefs and mistaken beliefs.
And that's really easy to understand, no? For instance, if you do prostrations without actually thinking much, just doing it because you think it's perhaps your duty, then you will never experience the benefits that result from doing genuine prostrations. And not experiencing the benefits that come from doing genuine prostrations, you will think after some time, well, it doesn't work. Prostrations don't work and they don't do anything good to me. It must be all a lie, what they say, what they teach. It's not true. So think, prostration is not for me.
All the 84,000 sections of the Buddha's teachings are all taught for us, for all the different individuals that abound in this world, that exist in this world.
I like, I like bodhicitta, but I don't like refuge, so I take out refuge somewhere. I like mental offering, but I don't like confessions, so I take out.
So there's all the different teachings that are given and all the practices in order for us to change our mind, that our mind becomes transformed. And if we do them, if we follow through that is to say, if we really do them as they are taught, as they are explained, we'll experience the benefits.
So if we do prostration, as it was explained right now, in this genuine way, then first of all what will happen is that the obstacles for our session will be all dispelled. The obstacles and also our mind will become very soft and gentle and will receive the blessings. So our mind has been transformed, it already has changed from, from doing prostrations and then we become really open and ready for the session.
And we also, I forgot to say, purify our obscurations by doing prostrations. And by doing so, our experience changes, our experience has become transformed. And that is already meditation, that's practice.
In the tantric sādhanas or practices, there is a practice which is called the downpour of blessings, which is really precious and important.
And in the drupchens, in the great practices, we always, in each session, we receive that, or practice that downpour of blessings.
So what does this downpour of blessings really do? What good is it for? Well, what happens is that everything through that very process becomes pure.
And if everything becomes pure, then what happens, what arises or manifests through this very process is that the good fortune or the luck for receiving the siddhis occurs.
If you, for instance, do a retreat, and then we, in a retreat hut, we think, oh, I'm in a retreat hut, this is just an ordinary place, this is just, everything we regard, everything is ordinary. Then through that ordinary perception, what happens is that we'll not receive the siddhis we'll not receive accomplishment, or that the kind of luck of the siddhis will degenerate through such a perception.
So if we...
if we do the prostrations, as was explained before, what happens is that our body, speech, and mind becomes completely transformed, not ordinary anymore, everything becomes pure. Our mind, our body and speech become the enlightened body, speech and mind. And um...
and then with that purity in mind, we then sit down and begin our practice session, and then then everything can really go well from there. Even just start to sit down in your meditation cushion, you feel so comfortable, you feel so kind, relaxed. Otherwise, just sitting, our worry is, how will go my meditation sessions.
Usually our mind is so narrow and confined, we always have all kinds of worries, how will my meditation session go? Will it go well or not well? But if we do the prostrations in that way, as explained before, everything will go well because you have already purified everything. You just sit down without any worries or concerns.
As was mentioned before, that if we merely think of the Buddha, a single moment, and feel faith and devotion toward the Buddha, then this in itself purifies our obscurations in an inconceivable way, just that very process, that very short action. Now think about doing prostrations, doing prostrations really in that genuine way, as was explained before, recollecting all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in front of you, and with faith and devotion, you then bow down, purifying your body, speech and mind. So this, and not only that, at the same time what you keep in mind is that you are doing prostrations together with all sentient beings. You are transforming your body into countless bodies, and with these multiplied bodies you then make prostrations to the Buddha. So at that very moment also you posses bodhicitta because you are doing it together with all sentient beings. So this kind of, this is an extremely profound and vast practice, and this really purifies our obscurations in a very vast way.
There are some people in Tibet who all their life, all what they did was just prostrations.
And the late Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, he was really really tall and it was very difficult for him to move, but he did every day at least 50 or 100 prostrations.
All take into account the example of Trulshik Rinpoche, who even when he was really really old, he did every day 200 prostrations.
Only at the very end of his life did he reduce the amount of prostrations, then he did fewer, but otherwise he always did 200. I forgot to say before that if you then do the prostrations in that way, then really your practice will go extremely well. There is no, you don't need to have any worries. It will be extremely successful.
So please do the prostrations really well, especially when you are at home alone. You have in the, at home, in your private sphere, you can really take care and do them well. Now when we are all together, it's difficult to, to... have so much time to do them, but at home please do them like that.
So if prostrations were not that very important, then all the masters in the past who had such high realization like the vast sky, why would they do so many prostrations? They wouldn't waste their time like that, no?
So we do three prostrations with bottom of our heart. It's not just because you are Buddhist, you have to do, not like that. Or this is like tradition, not like that. We need to do bottom of our heart three times, nicely, according to your own traditions. Yea. And all the Buddhists they do prostrations, but according to their own, they have traditions, but according to that we do nicely and very very good.
So tomorrow I will talk a little bit about...
So tomorrow I will give some brief explanations about the body posture. And then we will go into the sādhana, into the Buddha Shakyamuni practice.
