LAM RIM TEACHINGS VOLUME IV MAHAYANA SCOPE Thoroughly Revised Edition

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LAM RIM TEACHINGS VOLUME IV MAHAYANA SCOPE thoroughly revised edition

Gehlek Rimpoche teachings 1987 - 1991

Jewel Heart Transcripts 2005

Jewel Heart First edition 1993; revised 2005

CONTENTS

HOW TO TAKE THE ESSENCE OUT OF LIFE: MAHAYANA SCOPE

XVIII The Bodhimind: The Benefits of its Development 5

XIX The Bodhimind: The Seven Stages of Development 29

XX The Bodhimind: The Exchange Method of Development 39

XXI The Bodhimind: The Eleven Stages of Development 51

XXII The Bodhimind: The Lojong Training of Development 67

XXIII The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 97

XXIV The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 133

APPENDICES 169

Questions and Answers 171

Outlines 185

Charts 194 - Chart 2: Basis, Path and Result - Chart 3: Six Desire Realms - Chart 4: Form- and Formless Realms - Chart 6: Bodhisattva Paths and Stages - Chart 7: Bodhisattva Paths, Stages and Practices

Root Texts: 199 - Thought Transformation in Eight Stanzas – Langri Tangpa - Seven point Mind training – Geshe Chekawa - Guide to the Middle Way ch. 1-5 – Chandrakirti

INDEX 207

Maitreya – embodiment of love

XVIII THE BODHIMIND: THE BENEFITS OF ITS DEVELOPMENT1

Introduction Up to here we have been learning, studying and also trying to meditate. The major meditation work is left for the individual as homework. You have to remember that.

We are following Lamrim: the path which will lead the fortunate people to ultimate buddhahood. It is the path which has been shown by Buddha, based on his own experience. It is the path that has been clarified by the great Indian maha-pundits Nagarjuna and Asanga. It is the essence of the practice of the great Tsongkhapa and Atisha, their heart practice. It is the essence of all the teachings of the Buddha, organized for an individual to obtain ultimate enlightenment.

We use this path to great enlightenment as a preliminary practice, in other words the whole Lamrim path is ngöndro2. Tsongkhapa did not emphasize individuals to do the ngöndro of prostrations, purifications, mandala offerings or saying mantras only. All of them, together with the seven limbs, as well as the preliminary meditations, are part of the total framework from guru-devotional practice up to bodhimind and knowing emptiness. What we have been doing up to now are preliminary practices for the Mahayana path. Up to here we laid the foundation. If that foundation is shaky, then whatever you try to build up on that will be shaky, will be a rocking chair rather than a solid base.

Learning, thinking, meditating: thö, sam, gom3. From here we begin to talk about the Mahayana path. The doorway to the Mahayana is the bodhimind4. To develop that, the teaching is very important, but the practice has to be emphasized, particularly meditation on the bodhimind. Remember, it is so important to do both concentrated and analytical meditation. In order to find your object of meditation first you learn, second you think and third you meditate. You have to think, to ponder. If you don’t learn you have no idea what you can think about. You will just sit there with closed eyes and just go wherever the mind leads you. That is what we normally do. Due to the kindness of many great teachers we know at least not to follow the ideas of the mind, but to focus on something and concentrate on it. That is a great thing.

1 Literature: Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, ch. 1; Gehlek Rimpoche, Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, ch. I; Gehlek Rimpoche, Love and Compassion; Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Meaningful to Behold, ch. 1; Tsongkhapa, The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Lamrim Chenmo, vol. II; Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in Our Hands, vol. III, p. 99-123; Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, p. 547-565; L.S. Dagyab Rinpoche, Achtsamkeit und Versenkung, p. 240-260; Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Joyful Path of Good Fortune, p. 387-399; Geshe Thubten Loden, Path to Enlight- enment, p. 489-521; Ram Dass, How can I help?; Lama Yeshe, Introduction to Tantra, p. 57-67. 2 Preliminary practices or preparations; often meant as preparation for Tantra. 3 Thos bsam sgom gsum. 4 The bodhimind [Skt. bodhicitta, Tib. jang chub kyi sem], also called awakend heart, is the altruistic motivation of a bodhisattva: a two-pronged mind that is (a) directed towards the attainment of enlightenment and (b) does so for the sake of all living beings. For

more details, see Glossary in volume I. 6 Lam Rim Teachings The learning, thö, is normally called hearing, but it is not only about listening, you can also read. Ac- tually it means: collecting information from a proper source. When you collect information you get to know something. Then you can think on it, so the sam comes. That is not just thinking; it is more or less analyzing. Analytical meditation is absolutely important, otherwise you’d be following a path of blind faith only, which is not necessarily great. If you are fortunate enough sometimes blind faith may work. – However, it is limited. I think that as a major practice you need to analyze things, so that you can get a taste by yourself, rather than have somebody else trying to tell you that this is sweet and this is sour. By analytical thinking you will find, “Hey, the whole thing we are talking about, in essence it means this!” That is far more important than reading the words only. What we are looking for is the essence. Then, the moment you say the words [of a given meditation text], the mind and the words can function together. You have the body sitting in the proper way, the speech is used for saying the words and the mind focuses on the essence. This means you have a combination of body, mind and speech, all three together, concentrated and putting efforts in. That is called gom, meditation.

Review of the Lamrim stages so far There are also stages to be known: steps of where to go and what to do. I think that is great. You won’t get stuck on a single point. You have a great path to go and a limitless scope to achieve. This path is leading up to buddhahood and that is really great. In you practice it is very important to follow the steps or outlines and you’ll see how one step logically pushes you to the next. That is why we call it Lamrim stages: one stage automatically pushes you to the next.

Stages common with the lower level. First the guru-devotional practice is mentioned. Guru-devotional practice is such a complicated thing that you can remain stuck on it for the rest of your life. That doesn’t matter; we simultaneously try to go to the importance of life and move onwards.5 Look at the importance of life. When you recognize its preciousness, you begin to understand that it is important. Can you see the logic behind it? Can you see how it pushes you? When you as an individual practitioner are practicing it, you’ll see the level you are going through, you’ll see how one subject leads to another one. Recognizing this precious human life, understanding the importance of life and seeing that it is difficult to find, brings you automatically to the next step: impermanence and death. Then you think: what happens after death? So meditating the different realms follows. And that again leads you to taking refuge. After taking refuge, can you just say, “Okay, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha know what I should do, so I can sleep?” No, you can’t. It is like going to sleep under a fruit tree with you mouth open, hoping that the fruit will drop into your mouth. Waiting for the fruit to drop you could die from hunger. So when you take refuge, you practice [accordingly]. You follow the system of karma. It is so logical. What is karma? Noth- ing strange. It is what I do, how I behave, how I think, how I function. I myself am making my karma. If I do something good, I am producing good karma; if I am doing something bad I am producing bad karma. My habitual behavior and my functioning in everyday life is my karma. I shape my karma, nobody else does. That means I can control it at the creation level. Then, what will happen? Once it is created, do you have to pay for it? Yes, of course. However, there are ways and means, loopholes, where you can find a way to escape [the results]. What are the loopholes? You can purify negative karma. Also, you can try to avoid creating the conditions [for the results to come about]. No matter how much original karma you may have, when the conditions are not right, it will not materialize. So you have room to play: room for miracles to happen, room to get blessings here and there, room for pujas and prayers and mantras. All this is because of the conditions. Our main practice is to work with the conditions: make sure the conditions are not right for the non- virtuous karma to ripen and to be right for the virtuous karma to function. What result will you get by doing that? You guarantee yourself you’re not going to fall into the lower realms. We can do that, we can manipulate, we can play a diplomatic game with the karma. We have playing room, so we can save ourselves from falling into the lower realms without any difficulty. That is great!

5 So the development of guru-devotion goes all along the path.

The Bodhimind: the Benefits of its Development 7 Can you see it? Our desire to avoid the faults and problems of the lower realms and to gain the happiness [of a good rebirth] can be answered that way. That covers ‘common with the lower level’.

Stages common with the medium level. Then you think, “Okay, if I can save my life this time, what about the future, is that going to be okay?” Well, going into the future, you will forget what you know now, because we go through the shocks of death and birth and all sorts of things. We forget we have trained to work on the conditions. Time makes you forget. And samsara is not really safe, because it is always circling round. Samsara is also full of pains and miseries. Why? Because we don’t have freedom. That is the simple, straightforward reason. When you are not free, you are suffering. You may get fed and you may be given some medical attention and so on, but when you are not free, you are suffering. Ram Dass once mentioned something very interesting in a lecture. He said, “Freeing yourself does not mean freeing yourself from your body.” I thought that was a very interesting statement. When talking about nirvana, the Theravada [or Hinayana] tradition says that the ultimate nirvana is completely formless. An individual who obtains the arhat level6 within his lifetime, still has the physical form, which is the result of delusions and karma. So that is not a perfect nirvana7. The ultimate nirvana is, according to Thera- vada, totally formless, i.e. you disappear totally. The Theravada sutra they quote on that, says “just like blowing out a candle.” Like the candle flame that dies out, the body is dismantled. When the body disman- tles and all other skandhas (feeling, discrimination, compositional factors and consciousness) dismantle, the individual disappears. They call this nirvana. The Mahayana doesn’t accept that. , It says that the present body is indeed a body which is the result of delusions, non-virtuous karma and so forth – no doubt. But you transform this particular contaminated body into an uncontaminated body. So you still function with a physical body. It is transformed yet it looks the same, acts the same, functions the same. That is why great bodhisattvas or even buddhas appear and function just like us, yet their bodies are uncontaminated. That is why Ram Dass said, “Freeing yourself does not mean freeing yourself from your body.”

When we look into samsara in general, we see its suffering nature and the causes of suffering, which are the karma and the delusions. Karma in turn is created by delusions. If we don’t have delusions, we won’t create bad karma. For what reason would you? Therefore it is so important to know the functioning of the mental faculties. The emphasis here in the common with the medium level is on the three higher trainings of the mind, [i.e. the training in morality, concentration and wisdom] Out of the three the emphasis is on the point of morality. It is very important to honor our moralities. In the Foundation of All Perfections it is said: The foundation of what then produces the two powers is the guarding of the pledges and commitments of tantric initiation. Honoring your pledges and commitments is real, true morality. Whatever society or orthodox religious people may say, it is keeping your commitments: from the ordinary commitment between two individuals to the commitments to the buddhas and bodhisattvas and to the guru-yidam mandala. Morality is your fundamental basis. Vajrayana is wonderful, very quick and great, no doubt. It is transforming, no doubt. But whether it is going to work or not, is based on whether the individual’s commitments are honored or not. Particularly in Vajrayana you can never ignore karma, saying, “We are Vajrayana practitioners, therefore we can do anything we like to, we can get drunk etc.” These are wrong practices. Even though in Vajrayana it becomes part of the commitment to taste a little bit of alcohol and eat a little bit of meat, it doesn’t mean you are allowed to get intoxicated. If you get yourself intoxicated in any way, whether by alcohol, drugs or whatever, your stable mind can be lost, so you can create a lot of problems for yourself. That is the reason for the objections to intoxication. You may raise some argument, saying, “The maha-siddhas are always drinking, what is that?” Okay, for them it is different, because their mind is totally under control and they

6 In the Theravada [or Hinayana] tradition this is called nirvana. 7 This is called nirvana with left-over.

8 Lam Rim Teachings know what they are doing. That stage of perfect control is the stage where you are allowed to use it. If not, not allowed.

This plus trying to understand the functioning of samsara a little more through the Twelve Links covers the common with the medium level.

C. Mahayana scope: training the mind in the Mahayana stages of the path Now we have come to the Mahayana path. For this outline number three of how to take the essence out of life, the Mahayana practice, I am going to talk on the basis of Pabongka’s Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. I should say, “Friends, welcome in the great yana, on the great path!” Before we put any step on it we’ll talk about the benefits. That is the system here. As I mentioned earlier: by practicing the common- with-the-lower-level path we can get some kind of guarantee for ourselves not to fall into the lower level in our next life. By practicing the common-with-the-medium-level path we can lead ourselves out of samsara. We see the disadvantages of samsara and we see nirvana and its qualities, and we can push ourselves into the direction of nirvana.

Two fears. According to this tradition there are two problems in the practice of this path. One: the fear of samsara. Two: the fear of nirvana. The nirvana stage is problem-free. However, although you have no physical torture, pain, mental ag- ony, worries or anything, it is so peaceful that you can remain stuck there for eons and eons, doing nothing. It is almost like a vegetable level, so peaceful, harmonious, beautiful, joyful and sweet. But that is not enlightenment. You do nothing, you don’t act, you are immersed in some kind of big wave over there and you enjoy it somehow, doing nothing, but remaining there for a long, long time. Yet you have not cleared everything you need to clear and you have not obtained everything you need to obtain! Neither did you complete your own purpose, nor can you help others. And ultimately you have to enter into the Mahayana path and you have to obtain buddhahood.

Viewpoints on the ultimate stage. Theoretically speaking, there are two different viewpoints in Buddhism. One of them accepts three ultimate stages: the sravaka-buddha stage of no more learning, the pratyekabuddha stage of no more learning and the Mahayana stage of no more learning. Each of those three has five paths8 of which the fifth path is called ‘no more learning’. That viewpoint considers all three no-more- learnings as ultimate. But the Madhyamika says: there is only one ultimate stage and that is the stage of buddhahood. Na- garjuna argues: the ultimate has no differentiations; stating an ultimate and the other having a better one is a clear sign the previous one is not ultimate. So the question is, what will happen to those [sravakas and pratyekas] who have obtained the arhat level? The Madhyamika says that they will remain on that level for a number of eons, but ultimately the buddhas and bodhisattvas will come to them and say, “Hey, haven’t you had enough time to rest? Get up now and move!” That is how they will proceed [towards buddhahood]. That is what they say. I have no experience so I don’t know, I am only quoting them. In Aryasura’s Compendium of the Perfections [Skt. Paramitasamasam] it mentions: The two other yanas will not lead you to the ultimate buddhahood. Therefore the buddhas recommend the Mahayana, which is leading to the stage of the Conqueror himself. And the great Kadampa Geshe Potowa has said: There is no use to cross the river twice, once this way and once that way. Therefore it is recommended from the beginning to gear towards the Mahayana path. That is why [the whole] Lamrim is geared towards the Mahayana path.

8 The paths of accumulation, action, seeing, meditation and no more learning. See charts 6 and 7 on p. 196-197.

The Bodhimind: the Benefits of its Development 9 If arhats obtain the ‘arhat level with no left-over’, they go into some kind of joy-dhatu, called dharmadhatu. Dhatu means: space. They enjoy it and stay there for a long time and make up their minds, “I am not going to get up from here at all.” So they sort of completely disappear. During that same period, someone else who falls into a hell-realm, gets stuck there for some time, gets out of the hell-realm, obtains a human life and does some practice, may obtain buddhahood. At that time that arhat will still be enjoying him- or herself in that joy-dhatu. So, that is an obstacle. It takes you away from the stage of the buddhahood rather than bringing you closer to it. It is a sideway. Therefore, if you have to choose between the two, it is recommended to choose the Mahayana path.

Manjushri’s interference to the arhat level. The example that is quoted is this. During Buddha Sakya- muni’s period he was teaching a group of sixty monks who were sure to obtain the arhat level. They were in the last stage and the great sravaka arhat Kashyapa was coming to teach them. But he was a little late and meanwhile Manjushri came in and gave these monks Mahayana teachings. Because of what Manjushri had said they became completely confused and so doubtful that when they died they fell into a hell realm. Kashyapa could not bear that and went to complain to Buddha, “Look here now, Buddha, I was leading these people and they were going to obtain the arhat level, but Manjushri interfered. He beat me by five minutes and taught those people the Mahayana path. They all got totally confused and couldn’t get it clear and now each one of them fell into a lower realm. Buddha, you can see it yourself.” (If you look into the Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra9 you will find this play between bodhisattvas and arhats all the time.) What did Buddha say? “These are Manjushri’s skilful means. If these people would have obtained the arhat level, then they would have gone as arhats with no left-over and they would have remained in that state. Now they go to the hell realm for a short period, then each one of them will obtain a human life, they will practice the path and obtain buddhahood long before they would have come out of this joy-dhatu stage. So Manjushri’s used skilful means.” Kashyapa was a bit upset, but Buddha continued, “Not only that. When one stays in that joyful stage for a very long time, it becomes very difficult to put efforts in generating the bodhimind. Even if one would try to do so, it would be very difficult to develop great compassion.” (Not compassion but great compassion, that is different.) The commentary goes on to tell what Shariputra and those disciples normally say. Whenever Buddha gives a teaching on the Mahayana path they say, “Well, we hear what you say but we do not understand what you are talking about. We can only take your message and relate it to others.” That is why Shariputra and all these arhats are known as sravakas, hearers, literally ‘to hear it and say it’. They hear Buddha’s words, memorize them, repeat them, but don’t practice [the Mahayana]. Therefore there are referred to as ‘listeners to the message’. Shariputra told Buddha, “Yes, when you give Theravada teachings it remains with me and I can understand and practice it. However, when you give Mahayana teachings, I can hear it and get your message, but I cannot understand and I cannot practice it; I become like a charred piece of wood.” Pabongka comments that the Great Shariputra and so on are definitely buddha manifestations, therefore they don’t have that blockage at all, but they give this explanation in order to help us to understand. So, what do we need? First we need to develop a very strong mind of determination to be free. When we gain understanding and some experience on it, it is definitely recommended to enter the Mahayana path. The ultimate purpose of the common with the medium level is to properly develop renunciation; it is not the actual path. The actual path is the bodhimind. In order to develop the bodhimind, the common- with-the-medium level path and the common-with-the-lower-level path were needed as ngöndro, preparation. Knowing samsara, knowing the nature of suffering and all this were the prerequisites for developing the bodhimind.

What is bodhimind. First let us raise the question: what is bodhimind? Is it a mental faculty? Is it a separate mind? I don’t believe it is a separate mind and I don’t believe it is a mental faculty either. It is a mind which has a different purpose, a different way of thinking. In other words, it is a primary mind with

9 Robert Thurman, The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti: A Mahayana scripture.

10 Lam Rim Teachings slightly different mental faculties surrounding it. It is the same primary mind, observing things differently, functioning differently. You could say it is the primary mind sort of transformed. Our normal pattern is to look for happiness and avoid undesirable incidents, automatically. We have that habitually. That will be changed. Instead of looking for happiness for yourself, you will automatically have the total altruistic mind. There is a shift in our priority list, a shift in our habitual patterns – that is what it really is. Talking according to the books, we say: bodhimind is the mind that seeks enlightenment, yet is totally dedicated. So bodhimind has two different aspects: ▪ seeking total enlightenment ▪ being totally dedicated to the service of other beings. When I say ‘seeking’ I don’t mean it in the sense of seeking a job. That is the occasional application. Looking and applying for jobs all the time is not a habitual pattern. But here, when you say “seeking total enlightenment”, it means habitually, automatically looking for it. Let us say you have some problem. If you have a problem that is really bugging and pressing you, you can’t get it out of your mind. That bugging problem will be constantly there until you find some kind of solution. When you are constantly seeking and the bills are piling up high, it becomes a problem. But the moment the bills have relaxed, the individual also becomes relaxed. That shows that you are not really a hundred percent in it; it is not a habitual pattern. When it is a habitual pattern it is always there, constantly. When you acquire the bodhimind the shift will be that wanting the buddha stage has become number one on your priority list. It is always on your mind, it is always bugging you, it is always your goal, and you are always looking for it. There is not a single minute that you are separated from that desire, not even during your dreams. Every time and everywhere you are geared in that direction. It has become part and parcel of your mental continuum. That is the first aspect. As much as this aspect is there, you are dedicated to others equally much. Equally you are seeking enlightenment and equally you are dedicated. Also, your dedication will be: not selected, not convenient, not conditioned. (Do not think of dedication in the sense of dedicating your virtues. What I mean is dedicating yourself to the service of benefiting all sentient beings.) So bodhimind has two goals. One goal is seeking enlightenment, which is a habitual pattern, bugging you twenty-four hours a day. The second goal is being totally dedicated to the benefit of all others, not conditioned, not convenient. The American way of life is, “If it is convenient I will do it. I am dedicated as long as it doesn’t hurt me.” That is conditioned. The bodhimind will not put any conditions; it is a habitual pattern. i. Benefits of developing the bodhimind Development of bodhimind, the thought of enlightenment, is the central pillar of Mahayana practice, The foundation of all Bodhisattva activities, An elixir producing the gold of merit and wisdom, A mine holding the infinite varieties of goodness. Knowing this, the courageous Sons of the Buddhas Hold it tightly at the center of their hearts. I, a yogi, did that myself; You, O liberation seeker, should do likewise. Je Tsongkhapa, Song of the Stages in Spiritual Practice [Lamrim Dudon], vs. 14 In order to introduce you to the Mahayana path, it is customary and a great practice to introduce the benefits first.

1) The gateway into the Mahayana is nothing but developing the bodhimind I think this first one definitely is a benefit. I’ll show you how. The distinction of whether you are a Maha- yana practitioner or you are not, is made on the bodhimind. If you develop the bodhimind within you, then whatever you do, you are a Mahayana practitioner. And if you do not develop the bodhimind within you,

The Bodhimind: the Benefits of its Development 11 then no matter what you do, even though you may become an arhat, you are not a Mahayana practitioner. If you have developed the bodhimind, then even if you are in the form of a dog or cat, you are a Mahayana practitioner and you become a bodhisattva. So, the benefit is to become a Mahayanist; the only gateway to that is to develop the bodhimind. Even Buddha went through the stage of developing the bodhimind before he became a buddha. The Mahayana and Theravada viewpoints are slightly different on this. The Theravadins will say Buddha developed within his lifetime and became a buddha. The Mahayanists will say Buddha developed and became a buddha already long before and reappeared again. What both commonly accept is where and how Buddha developed the bodhimind: in the hell realm.

How Buddha developed the bodhimind. When Buddha was not yet a buddha, he was in the hell-realm. Both Buddha and another guy were used to pull a cart to plough the land, like horses. The guard that was behind them, was beating this other guy. Buddha looked at his companion and developed a tremendous amount of compassion. And when this companion fell down, they started beating him up even more with electrical whips. Buddha felt a tremendous compassion towards that fellow and he tried to do a little more than he could in order to help the other one; he tried to pull both horse carts by himself. He developed the bodhimind right at that level. Now that hell administrator got so angry about that, “You try to do both by yourself!” and he hit Buddha on the head with a hammer. Buddha died there and was reborn as a human being. That is how Buddha developed the bodhimind. So the bodhimind can be developed at any stage. Whatever the state or realm you may be in, if you develop the bodhimind you become a bodhisattva. Jamgon Tsongkhapa has said [in his Lam rim chen mo], Whether the dharma you practice is Mahayana dharma or not, is not important. The practitioner, the person who does the practice, has to be a Mahayana practitioner. If so then your practice will also become Mahayana. In other words, if you have the bodhimind and you give food to an animal, then that activity is a Mahayana practice. If you don’t have the bodhimind and you give food to an animal, it is virtuous but not a Maha- yana practice. The bodhimind makes the difference. Normally we will say the motivation is important, but the whole idea behind it is this. Do you get it? Tsongkhapa goes on to say, When you say ‘Mahayana’ what is meant is the bodhimind itself, nothing else. If you have a very rough understanding of the bodhimind then you will have an equally rough practice of Mahayana; if you have a smooth, great bodhimind all your practice will be great and smooth bodhisattva practice. If you have a half-half understanding of it then your practice will also be half raw half cooked. Pabongka’s commentary says, If you don’t have the bodhimind within you, then whatever you do, even if you practice the great Guhyasamaja developing or completion stage, forget about obtaining buddhahood, you won’t even get to the first stage on the Mahayana path. If you do not develop the bodhimind and you do a lot of Vajrayana practice, then no matter how great, how deep or how profound the practice might be, you won’t even obtain the first path of the Mahayana, the path of accumulation. Pabongka Rinpoche adds up: That practice of Vajrayana will not even become a Mahayana dharma. But if you have the bodhimind with you, then even saying OM MANI PADME HUM once is a Mahayana practice and will therefore be the cause for becoming a buddha. So developing the bodhimind is important and benefits you. Nagarjuna says, If you and the rest of the world wish to gain ultimate enlightenment, its roots are the altruistic inspiration to enlightenment, firm like Meru, the king of mountains, the compassion which reaches to all quarters, the wisdom which relies not on duality.

12 Lam Rim Teachings Nagarjuna, The Precious Garland [Ratnavali], vs. 174-175 If you want to obtain buddhahood, you have to obtain a very stable bodhimind, unshakable like a mountain. You need to have that very strong, solid foundation. If you have that, you can aim for buddhahood. If you do not have this mind and you try to practice the development stage of Vajrayana, your practice will be like visiting a museum, looking at an exhibition of mandalas. And if you try to practice the completion stage, doing the [breathing] exercises will be like blowing a pair of bellows. So the quickness and pro- foundness of Vajrayana is influenced by the bodhimind. The great Changkya Rolpai Dorje, a seventeenth-century great master who had been the teacher of the emperor of China, came to Central Tibet and tried to obtain a lot of initiations from a lama called Pur- chok Jampa Rinpoche. Whenever this lama was giving an initiation, during the explanation before the initiation he always talked about the Lamrim points rather than about the Vajrayana points. So many people felt that it looked as though he had nothing to say about tantra. But Changkya Rolpai Dorje said, “This is the clear sign that he really knows where the key lies.”

Atisha and Vajrayana practitioners. When Atisha was in Tibet, a visitor from India came to see him. So he asked, “What is the news?” The traveler gave Atisha this news, “A Hevajra practitioner has obtained the stream-enterer stage.” (That is one of the four result stages of the Theravadins: 1) stream-enterer, 2) once- returner, 3) non-returner, 4) no-more-learning. In the first stage of stream-enterer some kind of stableness has been developed.10) Atisha immediately remarked: Because he doesn’t have my bodhimind he fell into the stream-enterer result. If he would have had my bodhimind, he would have become an ultimate buddha instead. Not only that; people who are meditating Hevajra sometimes go to a hell realm too! So, if you don’t have the bodhimind but do a lot of Vajrayana practice, you may become a powerful ghost. If your dharma is based on having the bodhimind, you become a buddha. You do the same work, but what you get is different. That is what is meant by: bodhimind is profound and great and deep. For a practitioner, bodhimind is a very profound practice, because when you have the bodhimind every single good thing that you do will become a cause for buddhahood. So the bodhimind is important. Also once one of the indian earlier vajrayana practitioners practicing Yamantaka became a ghost and came to Tibet to see Atisha. Finally Atisha gave him some torma gift, sent him back and said: ‘If we left him in Tibet he would create trouble, therefore let him go back’. So though he was a great earlier practitioner, though he did a good job, he still just became a powerful ghost and could not become a buddha.

The story of the two Yamantaka practitioners. I am going to share an interesting story with you. In Pembo, a village a little north of Lhasa, two people started doing a three-year retreat on Yamantaka together. One of them died during the retreat and the other one continued his retreat. A few days after this, somebody looking like Yamantaka appeared in front of the other meditator and that fellow thought, “Wow, I am getting a vision of Yamantaka!” He started praying but the vision said, “No, no, no, not Yamantaka. I am your old friend who died here! I came here to beg for some food!” What happened is his: because of the lack of bodhimind, even though he was doing such a great practice, in his life immediately after that, he became a Yamantaka look-alike ghost, looking for some food to burn so he could enjoy the smell of it. That is a true incident that happened in Tibet. Pabongka Rinpoche comments: Even today, people who practice an important deity, who can read the future, who can read somebody’s mind or can show some magical powers, we consider important. But if you don’t have the bodhimind, then where you are going to go in your future is nothing but the lower realms. Therefore great psychic or magical powers are not of much help to us. But if you have the bodhimind, then even if you don’t do anything else, you have set up a great foundation for the Mahayana practice. In Sutrayana and Vajrayana both, whether or not something becomes a Mahayana practice, totally depends on having this mind. If you have this mind then even if you are not doing any [special practice], all your activities, if not non-virtuous by nature, will become a cause for

10 See chart 7 on p. 197.

The Bodhimind: the Benefits of its Development 13 buddhahood. And if you are a great bodhisattva – now listen here! – then even your non-virtues are transformed into virtues and become powerful. This is what I meant when I said, “If you have the power, you can use intoxication.”11 If you have this bodhimind, if you are a bodhisattva, then even your non-virtues can be transformed and become virtues. If you don’t have it, then even if you have clearly seen emptiness, there is no guarantee you will obtain buddhahood. However, you can obtain the arhat level. Therefore the great emptiness is always referred to as the mother. Both ordinary and extraordinary enlightenment12 are given birth by emptiness, that is why. The bodhimind is referred to as the father.

Relative and absolute bodhimind. You will hear about the relative bodhimind and the absolute bodhimind. The bodhimind we try to develop, try to practice through the seven stages, through the exchange method, whatever we are working towards, is the relative bodhimind. Relative bodhimind is the true bodhimind, [it is what we refer to when we use the word bodhimind]. If, in addition to that the person sees the emptiness, when the emptiness gets combined with the bodhimind, then it becomes the absolute bodhimind. So, absolute bodhimind means: bodhimind combined with the understanding of emptiness. Absolute bodhimind definitely has the relative bodhimind in it. In actual practice the term absolute bodhimind is referring to the wisdom part rather than to bodhimind itself. You have to remember that when you talk about bodhimind. So, the true bodhimind is the relative bodhimind, of which there are two kinds: the prayer-[or wishing-] form bodhimind and the action-form bodhimind.

Conclusion. In short, if you don’t desire buddhahood, forget about this. If you do desire buddhahood, then becoming a bodhisattva and cultivating the bodhimind is the path, there is no other path. So the essence of your practice should be bodhimind. Why? Because all qualities of the Mahayana, and even of the Thera- vada-yanas, are the result of the bodhimind. Pabongka Rinpoche says, “If you do not have this bodhimind as the essence of your practice and you practice some yidam here and there…” We all do, right? “What is your ultimate practice?” “Oh, Yamantaka, Chakrasamvara, Vajrayogini, Tara, Avalokiteshvara, Guhyasamaja, Kalachakra…” We have all these great, great big names. But if you do not practice bodhimind, you are likely to be meditating a great delusion in the form of this and that sometimes. This is important.

Atisha and bodhimind. Atisha had become one of the most important saints and scholars and a great teacher in Vikramashila, one of the two most outstanding Buddhist learning and practice centers in India at that time, the other one being Nalanda. When Atisha was a master, he was not satisfied with his own learning. He went across the Indian ocean, which took him thirteen months, to arrive in Indonesia, at Ser Ling, what in Tibetan is referred to as the Golden Island. This is where this famous stupa, the Borubudur, is. There he obtained the complete teachings on bodhimind from lama Serlingpa and from that time onwards he practiced bodhimind as the essence of his practice. He considered lama Serlingpa as one of his most important teachers because he had obtained the teachings on bodhimind from him. From the wisdom point of view, Serlingpa’s viewpoint was only Cittamatra13, which is, according to the Madhyamika, labeled as a lower level of understanding of wisdom – second in quality. Atisha himself considered Serlingpa his most important teacher because of the bodhimind. So it is important for us to put every effort in to try to develop this mind within us. Pabongka Rin- poche says: Concerning place, time and body, there are a lot of places where you can develop the bodhimind. There are a lot of body forms in which you can develop it. However, the human level is considered the most important; there is nothing better than this. From the practice point of view, in order to practice bodhimind, there is no practice equivalent to Lamrim. The best body and the best practice in order to develop it, are here. To meet such a situation is also a great fortune. And if you cannot

11 See page 7. 12 Arhat level and buddhahood, respectively. 13 See Glossary in volume I.

14 Lam Rim Teachings utilize this, it is a great waste. Some people consider themselves the greatest practitioners because they stay alive by just eating essence pills, but when it comes to bodhimind it becomes less important, therefore they could not reach enlightenment. What we need is: if possible develop the faultless, effortless bodhimind and if this is not possible, we should try to develop bodhimind with effort. Effortlessly developed bodhimind means it has become habitual. We don’t have to put in any effort to get angry; we don’t have to put in any effort to develop attachment. We see a beautiful face and we just go… ping! without any effort. If we are able to practice bodhimind as our habitual pattern, then we have developed the effortless bodhimind. In order to reach that, we should meditate on it, try to get bodhimind with effort and gain some realization of it, because until you get a realization, you will never get the effortless bodhimind functioning. If we don’t even get the bodhimind with effort, at least we should be able to understand it properly. Now if we look back at the importance of life, many of us can just close our eyes, think about this and things will come up within our minds. You have not developed it – you neither developed the realization on it with effort nor without effort, but it is simply an under-control stage. The moment you sit down and start thinking, all these things will come up in your mind immediately. We should try to develop the bodhimind at least up to that level. A few sittings and a few teachings will not be able to give you that result; you must put a lot of effort in. Put less effort in meditating on deities and saying mantras and put more effort in developing the bodhimind. If you have commitments [like saying a certain number of mantras], fulfill them but apart from that do fewer mantras and do more meditation on the Lamrim, particularly on the bodhimind level. This is recommended.

2) You obtain the title of ‘Child of Buddha’ Child of Buddha, wow! Child of God! If you look into the Bodhisattvacharyavatara , it says: The moment an awakening mind arises In those fettered and weak in the jail of cyclic existence, They will be named ‘a Son of the Sugatas…’ Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 1, vs. 9 If you have developed bodhimind, it doesn’t matter in what kind of a pitiful condition in samsara you may be; within that minute you will become a child of the Tathagatas and all the worldly gods will prostrate to you. It is the same as what I was saying earlier: the moment you develop the bodhimind you become a bodhisattva. Pabongka comments: Whether you become children of the Sugatas or Tathagatas (both are different names for buddhas) or not, totally depends on whether you have the bodhimind or not. If you don’t have the bodhimind, then whether you have gained psychic or magical powers, knowledge, understanding of emptiness or whether you cleared the delusions completely14, you are not a bodhisattva, you are not entitled to be called ‘Child of the Buddhas’, you have not become a Mahayanist. The moment you develop this mind, whether you are a dog, a pig or as stupid as a donkey, you are a Mahayanist and a child of the buddhas. The moment you develop the bodhimind the earth will tremble and Buddha’s throne will shake. That really happens. When you give the bodhisattva vow, the text of the ritual says, “From now on you become a bodhisattva” and “the earth will shake” and this and that. In 1977, I was in Texas to give a bodhisattva vow. At the time I was giving the vow, I was simply saying, “The earth will shake and something will happen in that period.” The moment I said that, there was an actual earthquake. Then the ritual goes on by the bodhisattvas asking the buddhas, “What is happening?” and then the buddhas say, “In such and such a place with teacher so and so, many people developed the bodhimind” etc. So I said, “In a place called Texas these people developed this, and that is what is happening.” At that moment a thunderstorm came up. I found it very funny. Normally it does not happen but it did happen as a coincidence. At that time the great Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Kyabje Ling Rinpoche were both still alive and after I went back I told Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche what had happened. He said, “You are probably the first person who has given the bodhisattva vow in that area and the fact that something is happening is a clear sign that the

14 This refers to the arhats.

The Bodhimind: the Benefits of its Development 15 buddhas and bodhisattvas are happy about it.” So I thought it a little fortunate. But don’t expect this to repeat. Pabongka Rinpoche says: Why do you get an earthquake at that time? The earth exists through the enormous amount of karma of the people who are using it. By developing the bodhimind you’re going to help a tremendous amount of sentient beings [to become liberated], which is shaking samsara. That causes the earth to tremble. If one single person develops the bodhimind, the bodhisattvas will consider to have gained a new sister or brother and the buddhas of all ten directions will be happy. In the traditional Indian system one is very happy with a new royal prince as an heir to the throne. Similarly, the buddhas and bodhisattvas will be very happy when there is a new being who will be able to take the Buddha’s way and become a buddha. As long as you remain with that mind, you are a bodhisattva and you are a Mahayanist. But the moment you lose that mind, you will be out of that category. Each one of us has had a tremendous amount of psychic or magical power a number of times and that has not helped us much but to repeat our lives. But today we are able to develop the great bodhimind and get some understanding and practice and this will achieve tremendous benefit for our long term. So we should be very happy about it.

3) Your state will be higher then that of sravakas and pratyeka buddhas The Bodhisattvacharyavatara continues the same verse with: And [you] will be revered by both man and gods of the world. In a sutra called Bodhisattva Maitreya Sutra15, Buddha has given an example: If a king has a son, no matter how stupid that little baby might be, just by virtue of being the heir to the throne, it will automatically surpass the great matured ministers. And also it says: The baby garuda may not be fully matured at all, but by virtue of being a garuda all other birds will not disturb it and will just get away from it. So no matter how immature you might be, even by just beginning to become a bodhisattva you automatically overpower the great arhats. That is because of the special mind, which is the pre-bodhimind stage we will discuss later. Just because of the power of that special mind even, you have that position. Also, the bodhimind is supreme amongst gems. If it is the best quality diamond. No matter how broken it might be, just by virtue of being the best quality diamond, it can be more valuable than any other jewelry. Similarly, if you have the bodhimind, no matter how immature it might be, you are of diamond quality and you will carry the name of Bodhisattva, and Child of the Buddhas. And every little virtue you do will become the best virtue ever possible. In comparison to that, the arhats are like golden ornaments – and gold is considered much less valuable than diamond.

Atisha and bodhimind. Whenever people asked his advice, Atisha always said, “Give up life, practice love- compassion.” Atisha did not mean to give up life itself, but to give up attachment, to give up being totally in service of the material world. Don’t let the material world control you, but try to control the material world instead. I remember being in Hongkong a number of years ago, giving a talk in one of the hotels there. I was talking basic renunciation and somebody raised the question, “You gave a lot of renunciation

15 Part of the Gandavyuha Sutra, which is part of the Avatamsaka Sutra. Translation: Th. Cleary, Entry into the Realm of Reality, p. 362: “Just as a newborn prince is not inferior to fully grown ministers, because of his superior birth, a beginning enlightening being, born in the family of the enlightened spiritual kings, is not inferior to buddhist disciples [sravakas] with long experience in religious practice, because of the superiority of universal compassion of the aspiration for enlightenment. Just as a minister, no matter how old, should pay respect to a prince, no matter how young, and a prince need not honor a minister, in the same way buddhist disciples [sravakas] and self-illuminates [pratyeka buddhas], no matter how long they have performed religious practice, should pay respect to even a beginning enlightening being, and the enlightening being need not honor those who are enlightened only for themselves. Just as a prince, without any power yet never without the character of royalty, is not equaled even by the ministers who have gained eminence, because of his superior birth, in the same way a beginning enlightening being, no matter how much under the sway of action and affliction, is never without the character of the aspiration for omniscience, and is not equaled even by eminent buddhist disciples [sravakas] and self-illuminates [pratyeka buddhas], because of being of the family of enlightened ones.”

16 Lam Rim Teachings business today; so what should I do with my Rolls Royce?” What did I reply? “As long as you drive the Rolls Royce it is okay; the moment the Rolls Royce drives you, you’d better quit.” That is Atisha’s advice of ‘giving up life’. If you are a practitioner, use all the benefits and all the material comfort as long as you can, but the moment the material starts using you, it is time to quit. Meditate on love, compassion and bodhimind. That is Atisha’s advice all the time.

4) You become a field of merit If you don’t have the bodhimind and people try to praise you, it is not easy. It is very expensive to you. It will cost you your fortune, your good karma. But if you have bodhimind it is okay, it doesn’t matter, you can do a lot of things. Dharmaraksita’s Wheel of Sharp Weapons says: In jungles of poisonous plants strut the peacocks, Though medicine gardens of beauty lie near. The masses of peacocks do not find gardens pleasant, But thrive on the essence of poisonous plants. In similar fashion, the brave bodhisattvas remain in the jungle of worldly concern. No matter how joyful this world’s pleasure gardens, These brave ones are never attracted to pleasures, But thrive in the jungle of suffering and pain. We spend our whole life in the search for enjoyment, Yet ramble with fear at the mere thought of pain; Thus since we are cowards, we are miserable still. But the brave bodhisattvas accept suffering gladly And gain from their courage a true lasting joy. Now desire is the jungle of poisonous plants here. Only brave ones, like peacocks, can thrive on such fare. If cowardly beings, like crows, were to try it, Because they are greedy they might lose their lives. Dharmaraksita, The Wheel of Sharp Weapons, vs. 1-4 What does that mean? The peacocks are near the beautiful plants, but they choose just the poisonous ones. When the crow and the peacock go round in the jungle together, the peacock will pick out the poison. It can digest the poison and from that develops its beautiful feathers. But if the crow tries to eat the same poison, the crow will die. Likewise, bodhisattvas who possess the bodhimind can go into the jungles of poison, samsara, which is filled with desire, attachment, anger and all these emotional things. They are able to digest them and will even develop further through that. But if you don’t have the bodhimind, you are like the crow: if you try to eat the poison, it will endanger your life. That shows how much difference the bodhimind makes. So, bodhimind is very superior. Also, when you have the bodhimind, you can be a field of merit for others without it causing harm to you. This is so important. People can respect you, make offerings to you, serve you, bow to you, whatever, but if it costs you your merit, it is not worth it. If you can take it without it becoming expensive or costly to you, then it is worthwhile for you and worthwhile for others, too. You are serving a purpose for others and you are helping yourself. Do you see this now? This is how the field of merit works. So remember the crow and the peacock. You have to be your own judge, nobody else can be your judge. That is how it functions. So you judge: do I digest poison or not?

The bodhimind will not develop by practicing it for a short period. Even the great Atisha practiced bodhimind for twelve years. The great Kadampa lamas used to say: Everybody has a deity to meditate, everybody has a mantra to say, but nobody has a dharma to practice.

The Bodhimind: the Benefits of its Development 17 They mean that people lack bodhimind. If the bodhimind is developed, a very, very, very great further development comes through it. An Avadana story tells that in earlier times when Buddha was giving teachings, once five hundred geese were flying over the water and heard Buddha giving teachings on the bodhimind. When they died they became samsaric gods and from the samsaric gods’ level they saw the truth. Bodhimind works like that.

The story of the invisible. The great king Ajatashatru, the one who killed his father, king Bimbisara, had built up a tremendous understanding of emptiness in a previous life. One day he bought a priceless dress, a really expensive golden cloth decorated with lots of jewels. You can’t give something like that to an arhat; by Buddha’s rule they are not allowed to accept it. Bodhisattvas, however, are always allowed to take it. So he wanted to give it to Buddha. Buddha told him, “Give it to Manjushri.” So he went to Manjushri and gave it. What happened is: when he started to give the dress to Manjushri he could not find Manjushri because he had disappeared. Every time he tried to give the dress to Manjushri, Manjushri disappeared in his vision, in his eye-view. He simply vanished. So finally the king put the dress on himself. And at the same moment he put it on himself, he himself disappeared. He couldn’t even touch himself. That is how he got the true understanding of emptiness. So the true understanding of emptiness is not so much in the learning. You have to learn a lot, but you do not learn everything the intellectual way. You also learn through the combination of meditation and accumulation of merit. This will come afterwards. It is said: The moment you develop the bodhimind even Brahma and Indra, the great samsaric gods, will come and praise you and respect you and help and make offerings to you. You will also develop some look of peacefulness, and even your appearance will be different; a different complexion will develop. The buddhas and bodhisattvas, and particularly the samsaric gods, will try to fulfill your wishes. They always try to help you. That is how you can get your wishes fulfilled and that is how you can be helping other people.

Actually, the moment you become a bodhisattva, you have a mind which can give birth to a buddha. Where do buddhas, even our future buddha, come from? From the bodhimind. A buddha is the result of the bodhimind. Arhats and bikshus and so forth are the result of a buddha. Bodhimind gives birth to a buddha; a buddha gives teachings and they meditate and develop. Buddha said: Even the buddhas will give tremendous respect to the bodhisattvas; particularly to the young bodhisattvas. The example in the sutra is: People look forward to the moon increasing, not to its decrease. Likewise a young bodhisattva who is going to grow up and develop, will be taken care of by everybody. Even the buddhas will take care of the young bodhisattvas so much. If the young bodhisattvas are playing and try to ride a horsecart and there is no horse to pull the cart, the buddhas will not hesitate to act like a horse, to put the rope on their heads and pull the cart. That is how much buddhas will take care of the young bodhisattvas. Disciples like Shariputra had been remaining in nirvana for eons, but buddhas and bodhisattvas did not respect that.

The food offering. Normally people would invite Buddha for feasts and so on. One day Buddha was invited for a food offering and he went there with bikshus and bodhisattvas. Normally he made the bodhisattvas be served first, but somehow here the people did not serve the bodhisattvas first. And when they tried to serve the bikshus and arhats, their begging bowls started falling on the ground and they could not put anything in it. They asked Buddha what happened and he said, “Serve Manjushri first.” These are some of the incidents that happened during Buddha’s life to show how important a bodhisattva is.

5) You develop a tremendous amount of merit easily A Kadampa teacher, Geshe Nyugrumpa said: Once you develop the bodhimind, all the difficulties that we have to go through, like accumulation

18 Lam Rim Teachings of merit, will be over; the bodhimind itself will accumulate merit. Once you develop the bodhimind, all the purifications will be done by the bodhimind itself. All the obstacles will also be cleared by the bodhimind. Even the buddhahood will be delivered by bodhimind. So even the buddha stage will be delivered by the bodhimind itself. So the problem is: not to develop it. Once you have developed it within you, it all goes by itself. Jamgon Tsongkhapa goes on to say: Like a gold-making elixir, it turns everything you do into the two collections16, building up a treasure of merit gathered from infinitely collected virtues. Je Tsongkhapa, Song of the Stages in Spiritual Practice [Lamrim Dudon] Shantideva in his Bodhisattvacharyavatara gave the example of a gold solution: It is like the supreme gold-making elixir, For it transforms the unclean body we have taken Into the priceless jewel of a buddha form Therefore firmly seize this awakening mind. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 1, vs. 10 If you have a gold solution applied on any metal it transforms it into gold. So similarly, if you have the bodhimind your ordinary body will be transformed. He also says: All other virtues are like the plantain tree; For after bearing fruit they simply perish. But the perennial tree of the Awakening Mind Unceasingly bears fruit and thereby flourishes without end. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 1, vs. 12 Some plants will die after having given one result, like crops of corn, rice or wheat; you harvest them once and they are finished. Certain fruit trees will constantly be giving results. Similarly, all other virtues will finish and be gone when you got one result. But the virtues that come out of bodhimind will be like a tree: year after year you can collect the fruits one after another and that does not finish the tree itself. That is the reason why we try to dedicate our efforts with the influence of bodhimind; it accumulates a tremendous amount of merit. The commentary of Pabongka further explains: If you don’t have the bodhimind and you have given a million different people a million jewels for a million years, still that virtue of generosity will get exhausted by giving results. If you do not have the bodhimind, it is not a bodhisattva activity, it doesn’t cause you to become a buddha. But if you have this mind and you give a little piece of food to an animal, then even that small act of generosity cannot be exhausted. It is a bodhisattva activity, it is a cause to become a buddha. Also, if you have this mind, by offering even one stick of incense to buddhas and bodhisattvas, you have obtained a benefit that equals the offering of a number of incense sticks equal to the number of sentient beings. Likewise, if you say one single OM MANI PADME HUM only with the influence of bodhimind, you get the benefit of saying the number of mantras that equals the number of sentient beings.

The beggar and the butterlamp. There is a tale here. A beggar came from nowhere and offered Buddha a little butter lamp. Buddha accepted and kept it, and the butterlamp kept on burning all the time. In the evening when Buddha went to bed his attendant tried to put out that lamp, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t. He asked Buddha, “What is happening?” Buddha said, “Well it might have been offered by a beggar, a poor person from the street, but it has the influence of the bodhimind, so no matter how much effort you put in it, you cannot kill the light.” That is how powerful bodhimind is. In the Bodhisattvacharyavatara is mentioned:

16 The two collections or the two accumulations are of merit and of insight [also called relative merit and absolute merit, or method and wisdom, or compassion and wisdom], resulting in the two bodies of a buddha; the former resulting in your attainment of the form body rupakaya of a buddha and the latter in the wisdom body or dharmakaya.

The Bodhimind: the Benefits of its Development 19 For him who has perfectly seized this mind [action bodhimind] With the thought never to turn away From totally liberating The infinite forms of life, From that time hence, Even while asleep or unconcerned, A force of merit equal to the sky Will perpetually ensure. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 1, vs. 18-19 After you developed the bodhimind, then even when you are not mindful or even asleep, by the power of that bodhimind you build a tremendous amount of virtue constantly. Your virtues will be like a completely filled-up space. That much you gain. The moment you take the action bodhisattva vow, after that you build up this virtue constantly. Then, if you just help somebody who has a terrible headache, the mind of that little help will also have a tremendous benefit. The Bodhisattvacharyavatara continuously tells how much it benefits: If even the thought to relieve Living creatures of merely a headache Is the beneficial intention Endowed with infinite goodness. Then what need is there to mention The wish to dispel their inconceivable misery, Wishing every single one of them To release boundless good qualities? Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 1, vs. 21-22 The world honors as virtuous A man who sometimes gives a little, plain food Disrespectfully to a few beings, That satisfies them only for half a day. What need be said then of one Who eternally bestows the peerless bliss of the Sugatas Upon limitless numbers of beings, Thereby fulfilling all their hopes? Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 1, vs. 32-33

6) Negativities are easily purified Hence virtue is perpetually feeble, The great strength of evil being extremely intense, And except for a Fully Awakening Mind By what other virtue will it be overcome? Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 1, vs. 6 Such huge non-virtues which other antidotes can’t destroy, bodhimind can purify. We have a saying, ‘a green brain’. It means that someone can be right, but is very rigid, “It has to be this, it is categorized this way and cannot be that!” A green brain is an over-organized brain really, it doesn’t want to move an inch, sticks there till it gets rotten. The bodhimind is one of the best purifications. Shantideva said he had a problem of finding something better than bodhimind to purify. We are very rigid, saying, “Oh, for purification you have to do prostrations, do a mandala-offering or say this mantra…” That is having a green brain. If you do meditation on bodhimind, it is great for purification, great for accumulation of merit. It is like seven limbs together in one limb. If you look carefully into the bodhimind benefits, you’ll find almost all seven limbs in there. That is why a Kadampa lama goes to the extent of saying, “It accumulates merit by itself, purification is done by itself and even the buddha state will be delivered by itself.”

20 Lam Rim Teachings The story of Asanga and Maitreya. We sometimes tell a story, so people can get a better understanding of the subject. There are two outstanding Indian saint-scholars: Nagarjuna and Asanga. They are known as the path-openers because they are supposed to have made the Mahayana path much more clear to the people. Western scholars say Mahayana was made by Nagarjuna and Asanga about 600-700 years after Bud- dha. However, the Mahayana tradition says it is Buddha’s thought, but was lost because we didn’t understand it properly. Then Nagarjuna and Asanga came; Nagarjuna clarified the wisdom part and Asanga clarified the method part, the bodhimind. Now Asanga had a problem. He had found some references to the Prajnaparamita, the transcendental wisdom, but he couldn’t find the teachings. Finally he became totally helpless and decided to use a deity, Maitreya. He said he’d learn from Maitreya himself, so it would be much more clear, because even though there were some references to it here and there, the whole thing itself was gone. So Asanga tried to see Maitreya. He had sent his application to consult him. Maitreya received his application, but Asanga couldn’t get a communication with Maitreya. It took twelve years. Twelve long years he meditated, tried to get totally involved in the Maitreya ritual and tried to see Maitreya. Asanga meditated in a cave and after three years he was totally fed up, “This Maitreya is a total jug- gler, I can’t see him, can’t even know him, I am going to forget it, to hell with it” and he walked out. As he walked out he saw a lot of holes cut in the rocks and wondered why big rocks had so many cuttings. He sat down, tired and upset, and then he saw birds going up and down, their feathers touching the rocks. The birds’ feathers touching the rocks apparently made such marks in the rock. So he thought, “Wow, a tiny little bird like that touches those rocks with such soft material as feathers can make such marks in the rocks. My enthusiasm is not enough, I am going back!” He went back and sat there for three more years. After three years he got fed up again, “Now I am definitely going.” He walked down and found an old man rubbing a huge big iron bar with a small piece of very soft cotton. “Funny, what is this man doing? Is he trying to make it shine?” He asked, “What are you doing?” “I am going to make a needle out of it.” “A needle out of an iron bar, how?” “I rub and rub and then it will become small.” “Did you ever make one?” “Yes, I made bundles, these here are what I made by rubbing like this.” “Maybe my enthusiasm, my diligence was not enough, let me go back.” So he went back. After another three years he had a similar incident. He had given up again but saw an old man shifting a hill from one side of the valley to the other by transporting small bags of soil. So for the third time he went back to his cave again. At the end of twelve years, when he was finally leaving the cave, he saw a female dog, a bitch, sick with all the lower parts completely ruined and a lot of maggots on it; she couldn’t even walk. He got a tremendous compassion for her. He thought, “What to do? If I don’t stop these maggots this dog is going to die but if I remove the maggots, the maggots are going to die. What can I do? All those years I tried to call Maitreya and Maitreya is nowhere. But still, can I prevent this dog from dying and the maggots too? What can I do?” He thought and thought about it and said to himself, “Well, I have to save both, so let me cut a piece of my flesh to feed the maggots.” Without any hesitation he cut a piece of flesh from his own thigh and kept it in his hand. Now he started to pick up the maggots. “If I pick them up and squeeze them, again they will die. If I don’t squeeze them I won’t be able to pull them out from there, so what am I going to do?” Finally he thought, “I’d better lick the maggots up to put them on the flesh.” He closed his eyes, because he couldn’t very well watch it, put his tongue out and tried to lick the maggots up. But no matter how far he went in, he was not reaching anywhere. Then suddenly, as he opened his eyes, he did not see a dog, but he saw Maitreya standing in front of him. So he said, “How unkind you are.” Those were his first words. “How unkind you are. All these terrible things, you know, these twelve years I spent.” Asanga spoke out his problems. Maitreya said, “No. The day you entered I was there but you didn’t see me. I was there the day you started. You even spat on my shoulder. Here, look. But due to the compassion you developed for this dog, being able to cut a piece of flesh out of your body without hesitation, which purified a tremendous amount of your non-virtues, you are able to see.” That was Maitreya’s answer. Asanga was so excited and so upset and so angry and all this, so he said, “I must show everybody that you are here.” Maitreya said, “No, you will not be able to.” He said, “I have to.” He insisted and finally Maitreya said, “Alright, you try.”

The Bodhimind: the Benefits of its Development 21 So Asanga picked up Maitreya, put him on his neck and ran through the local market area, shouting, “Hey, look everybody, I got Maitreya here, look, look, look!” He was running around and everybody thought that he had gone crazy during those twelve years in complete solitary retreat: a well-known teacher, who gave up everything, went into solitary retreat for twelve years and now came out mad. Eve- rybody thought he was mad, because he was running around, saying, “Look, I have Maitreya here.” Mai- treya was nowhere, because nobody saw him. But one old lady saw he was carrying a dead dog, the mus- tard-colored body of a dead dog. All others saw nothing and thought he was crazy. And even that old lady said, “He is crazy, he is carrying a body of a dead dog while saying that Maitreya is here.” The others said, “We don’t see a dead dog at all.” Finally Maitreya said, “Look, I told you nobody will see me, I told you. You are able to see me because of your compassion. Your strong compassion has purified a tremendous amount of your non-virtues and that is why you are able to see me.”

Asanga and Prajnaparamita. After that Asanga asked Maitreya for the transmission and the teachings of the Prajnaparamita, the transcendental wisdom. Maitreya said, “Well, it is not proper to do it here, let us go up to my place, I can do it over there, you hold my cloth.” Asanga held a piece of Maitreya’s cloth and Maitreya took Asanga with him up to the pure land of Tushita. Asanga was kept in Tushita one fine morning, but when he came down to the human area, fifty years had gone by. That is what happens sometimes. That way he brought out the Prajnaparamita teachings. Western scientific studies say there is no evidence of the Prajnaparamita before Asanga’s time.

Bodhimind and fear. The result of many of our non-virtues is having to go through fearful, terrifying incidents and that is why a tremendous amount of fear is with everybody. Everybody is afraid in some way or another. That is the result of our non-virtues. Now particularly if you develop this bodhimind, then even if you have to go through a terrifying period, it looks like you have a great hero traveling with you. This bodhimind will act like a hero-companion within you, whenever you have terrifying problems and incidents. One of the best protections for fear is also this bodhimind. The Bodhisattvacharyavatara states: Like entrusting myself to a brave man when greatly afraid By entrusting myself to this (Awakening Mind) I shall be swiftly liberated Even if I have committed extremely unbearable evils. When do the conscientious not devote themselves to this? Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 1, vs. 13 So the bodhimind really protects from fear. There are a lot of details on this; we have to do that separately later17. Let us jump now. The Bodhisattvacharyavatara again: Just like the fire at the end of an age, It instantly consumes all great evil. Its unfathomable advantages were taught To the disciple Sudhana18 by the wise lord Maitreya Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 1, vs. 14 Bodhimind is like the final fire of the universe, the great powerful fire that will finally destroy the universe, which nobody can be protected or saved from. We may read about lava coming down [from a volcano] and nobody being able to do anything. Like that, when the final destroying fire comes, the whole universe will be burned within a very short period. But you also have to remember, it will not go everywhere completely at the same time. No, it will be going bit by bit. What lava from a volcano is doing is part of it; re- covering is going to take a long, long time. The final fire is considered the most powerful event. That is why they give this example of bodhimind being like a final fire anti the non-virtues. Remember how powerful for purification this is. You really don’t need anything. Pabongka says:

17 In 1996, Rinpoche started a weekly course on the Bodhisattvacharyavatara, which is still on-going. Of the transcript, Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, new chapters are still coming out. 18 Sudhana is the seeker of truth in the Gandavyuha Sutra, the final book of the Avatamsaka Sutra. Sent on a pilgrimage by Man- jushri and calling on a number of spiritual guides, he eventually comes to the abode of Maitreya, who teaches and guides him.

22 Lam Rim Teachings One session of meditation with the proper influence of the bodhimind is probably much more powerful and effective than other purifications done for a hundred years. So what else do you need?

7) It helps to fulfill the wishes of yourself and others If you develop this mind, your temporary wishes and ultimate wishes can be fulfilled. Out of those two the most important is that our ultimate wish, to be able to become a buddha, can be fulfilled by the bodhimind. Why? Bodhimind can help to clear the obstacles. The ultimate desire of not having sufferings and having every joy can be fulfilled by practicing bodhimind. Again from the Bodhisattvacharyavatara: If even the thought to relieve Living creatures of merely a headache Is a beneficial intention Endowed with infinite goodness Then what need is there to mention The wish to dispel their inconceivable misery, Wishing every single one of them To realize boundless good qualities? Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 1, vs. 21-22 Through the bodhimind countless numbers of sentient beings can achieve the ultimate joyful state. That is true. This can fulfill the buddhahood, what else do you need? If you have this mind with you, then any other rituals that you do, can very easily be achieved. Pabongka continues: We try to read sutras and tantras and all other rituals, where it is said that you can bring rainfall, stop the thunders and so forth; we try to copy it and sometimes we cannot achieve what we try to do. The reason why we are not achieving is because there is no bodhimind. So if you have the bodhimind, you are considered to have one of the best methods for clearing obstacles. It is very, very powerful. Back in earlier times the great healers did their healing through bodhimind. Even today, if you get a really good healer, it is the bodhimind that does it. If you want protection from ghosts and so forth, the bodhimind can protect you. Normally we try to blame it on the rituals being incomplete, the mantras not being perfect, but nothing else is to be blamed besides the individual person not having the bodhimind; that is why a ritual doesn’t work. Bodhimind does not depend on a mantra and does not depend on different materials; just a simple prayer will do. The bodhisattva Tadu Ngu,19 the bodhisattva ‘always crying’20, used to cut his wrist. When his teacher, the bodhisattva Ram Chö Chungpa21, was giving teachings, there was a lot of dust and they couldn’t find any water to keep the dust down. Tadu Ngu decided to cut his wrist and use his blood to settle the dust. There is a complete sutra chapter on that22. When Chungpa came he said, “If my bodhimind is correct, may he be healed.” And Tadu Ngu’s veins were healed immediately.

The flood. During the eighth Dalai Lama’s period, about 1700-1800, there was a huge river flood in Tibet. A lot of places were swept away and Lhasa was threatened too. At that time the Ganden Tripa, Tsongkhapa’s throne-holder, was a monk called Mönlam Pelwa, who was not considered a very learned one. They all went to him and said, “Look this big threat of the water is about to sweep away everything at any minute, any day now. What should we do?” Mönlam Pelwa was sick; he was in bed and couldn’t even move. He said, “Alright, carve these little words in a stone, carry it up there and put it there.” The words said, “If I, Mönlam Pelwa, am a bodhisattva, may this river turn away.” So the people quickly carved that and carried the stone to the prescribed place. When the huge river was coming it took a different course and Lhasa was saved. That is what bodhimind does. These are a sort of true stories like that. And this monk was not even considered great, he was just a simple bodhisattva.

19 Skt. Sadaprarudita. 20 He was called ‘always crying’ because of his compassionate feelings concerning the sufferings of all sentient beings. 21 Skt. Dharmodgata 22 Perfection of Wisdom Sutra in Eight Thousand Lines, ch. 30.

The Bodhimind: the Benefits of its Development 23 In short, ultimate enlightenment as well as the small little things that you have to do, like some peaceful or wrathful rituals here and there, can be achieved by bodhimind. You do not even need to do rituals, you can simply say, “By the true power of my bodhimind may this and this happen.” If you are a bodhisattva it will happen. If you are not a bodhisattva nothing will happen. It is a good way to check yourself.

8) None of the obstacles and disturbances can harm you Bodhisattvas are very well protected, not only by the buddhas and bodhisattvas as I told earlier, but they are also very hard to harm by anybody. That is a true fact. There are a lot of stories about it, that I am not going to tell you.

Geshe Khamlungpa. A Kadampa geshe named Khamlungpa23 was meditating love-compassion all the time. Long before, all the devils and spirits in that area had made a decision to attack anybody who tried to do anything in the area. “Whoever comes here, we are going to attack and destroy” was their agreement. And this geshe happened to be in that area. One powerful spirit had the duty to attack him. So he went there. But when he went there he saw the geshe crying. He thought, “What is this crying for?” He tried to throw his powers to read the man’s mind. When he read his mind, he saw that Khamlungpa was worrying about all sentient beings. So he could not attack him, “He is worrying about me, how could I attack him?” A number of times he repeated his try and finally all the ghosts got fed up and said, “Why didn’t you attack him?” He said, “All the time he is worrying about us and crying about us. I went there a number of times and every time I go there, he is meditating on that and somehow I could not harm him at all.” So they said, “Let us all go and watch.” They all went to Khamlungpa and they saw him doing this. One said, “I will attack him.” So he went nearby but could not do anything. Another one tried, but, “Okay forget it, let us go away.” That is what they did.

Rimpoche’s cave. Spirits meet up often. I have seen it in my childhood several times. From Drepung monastery going towards the Sera side, I had a little cave, a very, very nice one. It was a rock cave with three rooms, glass windows and a working water pipe. I don’t think anybody in Tibet had that, really. It was the cave where Thonden Rinpoche practiced his chöd. Thonden Rinpoche gave this cave to my father and he gave it to me. A beautiful cave. Unfortunately it is not there any more, they tell me. The Chinese destroyed it. Still there may be some holes left. There were three rooms up there, one nice little room inside with a glass window and a door, very cool in summer and very warm in winter. There was a small courtyard too and down they had built two small rooms, a kitchen and a storeroom. That means, a hole in the rock was used as a storeroom. When the cave was made, nobody said, “This is this”, but since in one hole you put things, it becomes a storeroom. Somewhere else you put a stove down and you label it kitchen. In other words, it was just a simple cave, but you could also say that it had three or four rooms, because each hole was labeled. When you label it kitchen, it becomes a kitchen and anybody, when asked, will say it is a kitchen. It looks like a kitchen, it acts as a kitchen, therefore it is a kitchen. That is relative truth. Labeling works. The built-up room had a trapdoor. You had to climb up the steps, push the door up and then it closed down. It was a huge door; three people had to push it up and only then it would stand up. And when you leave and close it down, you can’t open it again; one man is never able to open it. A huge door with a big lock, that was the door to go up. When you were sitting there, either in the courtyard or in front of the courtyard on the roof of the building, sometimes at night you would see a tremendous amount of little lights going around. You could see them. They were not fireflies; they looked like that but they moved on the ground, very, very fast. Sometimes in the evening you would sit there and you could see them coming from all directions. We used to say, “The ghosts are having a meeting.” They usually came below the mountain, where there was a huge tree far away from a small village. Under that tree they met, sometimes in built-up rounds. Sometimes it became one big bundle of them. And when you had these left-overs from the tsoh, you would see and hear them. Not only would you see those fires coming round, but you would also hear them “chtcthcth”, as though somebody was walking around. You could hear them from all directions and when you gave the

23 1023-1115. Also called Shakya Yönten.

24 Lam Rim Teachings left-overs, “ssssss” they would go away. These are what we call local spirits. They are harmful and helpful too. They give a little bit of help and a lot of harm. If there is anybody you want to harm, they are very active. You can say, “Destroy that” and they will do it.

The story of Pehar. If you have the bodhimind these spirits cannot do anything to you. Bodhimind is the protection from evil spirits. These little pehars couldn’t harm somebody like this geshe. A very powerful ghost, a protector type of pehar24, can be a good protector and can be a good enemy too. Sometimes they are a little tricky. These ghosts and the demi-gods and the human beings, the three of them have a very similar character. They are jealous, they manipulate, they play all these funny little games like every human being does. So once Pehar wanted to play something. He wanted to push some well-known lamas out. There were three of them, more or less during Tsongkhapa’s period. One was the Ganden Tripa, Buton Rinchen Drub25, the second one was Gungtang Lama Zhang and the third was Ngulchu Togme Zangpo. The last one is the first Tibetan who wrote a detailed commentary on the Bodhisattvacharyavatara. Togme Zangpo was always practicing bodhimind. Lama Zhang did a lot of other things and Buton was a very learned one. So what Pehar did, he presented a pen to Buton. He did not want to harm him, but he presented him with a pen. Buton was writing all the time; he didn’t meditate much, but spent most of his time writing books, so now we have the collected works of Buton: on medicine, astrology, Buddhism; on everything. So Buton was writing and writing because Pehar was pushing him by presenting a small pen to him. Gungtang Lama Zhang built a monastery, which Pehar didn’t like at all. He wanted to burn it down. Lama Zhang knew this and instructed the people, “Whatever you do, do not ever paint anything that burns in here: no incense, no butter-lamp, nothing.” The artist thought, “But I really have to do something.” An idea came up. At the end of the courtyard he drew a huge monkey holding incense with a little smoke coming out. When the building was completed, just before the consecration, Lama Zhang went round, looked and when he came near the door, asked, “Who did this?” The artist said, “Well, just this.” “I told you…” “But…” Lama Zhang left it; he knew. He said, “Well, let’s postpone the consecration for a few days and see what happens.” From that incense the fire started and the whole monastery, whatever they built up in two years, burned down. That was what Pehar did. Then Pehar wanted to do something to Ngulchu Togme Zangpo. He went to him a number of times, but couldn’t do anything. Ngulchu Togme Zangpo was meditating on bodhimind all the time, so he couldn’t do anything. Later on, when the great Buton Rinpoche was ill, this rinpoche Togme Zangpo was invited and he meditated bodhimind which healed Buton Rinpoche. That shows the bodhimind is great in healing too. There are a lot of those benefits. Pabongka concludes here: According to my experience, I can stand by that if you meditate this, these spirits can never harm you. This is my experience.

9) You are in the position to develop all stages [Skt. bhumis] and paths to enlightenment quickly If you don’t have the bodhimind within you, if you only have wisdom, you will never be able to complete the accumulation of merit. There are two accumulations: of wisdom-merit and of merit-merit. Even if you have the wisdom of emptiness, the accumulation of merit-merit can never be completed without the bodhimind. In order to complete the accumulation of merit, in order to clear the two obstructions, nyong drip and shes-drip26, i.e. the obstacles to liberation and the obstacles to enlightenment together with their imprints, you need bodhimind. Most power comes from the bodhimind itself rather than from the emptiness. If you have the bodhimind and you practice Vajrayana, you can and you will obtain enlightenment within a lifetime, no problem. If you don’t have this bodhimind, then no matter what Vajrayana you do, you can’t even reach the small level of the accumulation path of the Mahayana. In short, bodhimind is the root of all virtue. It has the power to transform ordinary virtues into virtues to become enlightened. It has automatic power: any virtue you do will become a direct cause for enlighten-

24 Pehar is a king of spirits and the little pehars his retinue. He is said to be subdued by Padmasambhava in the 8th century and having become a [worldly] protector. In these stories he appears as the tester. 25 Buston Rinchen Drub, 1290-1364. 26 Transliteration: Nyon mong pa’i sgrib pa and shes bya’i sgrib pa.

The Bodhimind: the Benefits of its Development 25 ment. Not only that, even some non-virtues will automatically be able to be transformed. Bodhimind has this power. Bodhimind has the benefit to reach your goal, to be able to cover the stages very quickly.

10) You become the foundation [source] of happiness and joy for others Chandrakirti’s Madhyamakavatara says: Pratyeka buddhas and sravaka buddhas are born out of buddhas. But buddhas are born out of bodhisattvas. Chandrakirti, Guide to the Middle Way [Madhyamakavatara], ch. 1, vs. 1 So arhats are born out of buddhas, buddhas are born out of bodhisattvas, bodhisattvas are born out of bodhimind. Therefore bodhimind is the root of all joy. All development of everybody is rooted in this. When you develop the bodhimind you become a source of joy and happiness for all others. You can directly and indirectly help a tremendous amount of people. Bodhimind is the essence of all the teachings of Buddha. It is the actual ultimate practice of the bodhisattvas. This is really what makes the Vajrayana powerful, what makes enlightenment possible, what is the source of all joy and happiness of all sentient beings. It is the essence of the buddhas’ and bodhisattvas’ practice; therefore it is the essence of the teachings of the buddha. What else do you need?

The Kadampa practitioner. After Atisha died Drom Rinpoche [or Dromtönpa] had become in charge of all Kadampas. He did not often contact them directly, but went on asking people, “So and so, what are they doing?” He was acting like a spy. When he was asking around, everybody would say that all these different people are doing this and this. Drom Rinpoche would say, “Well, that is wonderful.” But when they talked about Khamlungpa, the fellow who was crying, they said, “He is sitting on some mountain top, sitting there all the time, sometimes crying, that is what he is doing.” Then Drom Rinpoche said, “Well that is real dharma practice what he is doing.” That is indicating bodhimind is the essence of all practice. The Bodhisattvacharyavatara says: If you stir the milk butter arises. Likewise if you stir the teachings its essence, bodhimind, arises. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 3, vs. 32 It says that all the teachings of the Buddha are like a huge pile of milk. If you keep on shaking it, you will get butter. This bodhimind is the butter of Buddha’s teachings. So if you take this as the essence of your practice, then that is very important. Whether Mahayana Buddhism exists or doesn’t exist also depends whether anybody has bodhimind or doesn’t have bodhimind. Here Pabongka says: If people tell you, “This is profound, deep and wonderful, if you meditate one night or one day you will obtain enlightenment”, forget about it. Put efforts in the bodhimind, then you will really achieve something. Some people say you don’t need to practice this so much, because there is Vajrayana, with which you can transform everything and become enlightened overnight, but such things are not really possible. All the buddhas of past, present and future have passed through this. There is no buddha who has not developed bodhimind. A buddha without bodhimind has never been heard of before and probably will never be there in future. Therefore if you really desire enlightenment, then you need the bodhimind. If you are separated from the bodhimind, there is no hope of getting buddhahood at all, therefore you have to be very careful on this.

Before Atisha came to Tibet, the Tibetans did not put so much emphasis on the bodhimind. They simply used to say, “For the benefit of all sentient beings I would like to obtain the buddha stage” and they considered that good enough for bodhimind. When Atisha was in Tibet, the Tibetans asked his advice. So At- isha said sarcastically, “You Tibetans, know a bodhisattva who doesn’t even recognize love-compassion and bodhimind. You simply say, ‘For the benefit of all sentient beings I will generate bodhimind’ and you just make that sufficient!” Atisha insulted the Tibetans by saying that. Then they said, “What should we do?” He said, “It grows gradually, step by step.”

26 Lam Rim Teachings That means the bodhimind can only develop by meditating, not by taking vows. Not by attending rituals, no! By attending the ritual you can take the bodhisattva vow, but you don’t develop the bodhimind, you don’t become a bodhisattva. Some lama may tell you, “You are now bodhisattva so and so” with a name stamped and sealed, but you are still not a bodhisattva. Take some poison or try to write down the winning lottery number, “If I am a bodhisattva may this number that I chose be selected.” If it doesn’t come up, it is a clear indication that you are not. I’m joking, but that is what it is.

Summary of the benefits of the bodhimind for meditation 1) Bodhimind is the doorway to Mahayana. Without developing bodhimind, no matter what you do, you cannot be in the Mahayana path at all. 2) Not only do you enter the Mahayana path, you are earmarked to become a buddha. The idea of children is: children carry the family name and eventually become the head of the family. So the idea of calling it ‘child’ is like the earmark that you will become a buddha, that you have the capability to become a buddha. 3) By confirming that, you are also categorized as a bodhisattva, even though immature. No matter how immature you might be, by virtue of being a bodhisattva you will be more important, more dignified or much more valuable than a matured, senior arhat. 4) Also you become a field of merit; people can make offerings to you, you can receive them. Not only receiving them, but by accepting their offerings the other person can develop, receive benefits. 5) You also develop a tremendous amount of merit; for accumulation of merit there is nothing better than this. Kadampa Nyugrumpa said, “Once you develop this mind, purification is done by itself and accumulation of merit will also be done by itself.” 6) Bodhimind is the best method of purification. Like the Bodhisattvacharyavatara said, there is no effort equivalent to this that you can put in to purify powerful non-virtuous actions. So this is one of the best methods for purification and accumulation of merit both. 7) Bodhimind fulfills all our wishes, temporary and ultimate wishes. Our ordinary desires can be fulfilled, because once you develop the bodhimind you will be protected and surrounded by the samsaric gods, including Brahma, Indra etc., who will help you carry out your wishes. Also the bodhimind de- livers buddhahood to the individual, therefore it fulfills the ultimate wish. 8) Bodhimind protects you from obstacles, spirits etc. I have given you a number of incidents. They cannot harm you, because you are worrying for them, you are seeking enlightenment for them, you are generating compassion for them. So, from their morality point of view it is very difficult for them to do you any harm. And even if they want to, your own protection is there. Also, bodhimind is the best way to heal people as we have shown you in the example of Buton Rinpoche being ill. It is the bodhimind through which you help. Especially in the middle of this training in development of the bodhimind, there is an exercise called tong-len, the give-and-take exercise. Tong-len is then recommended as the best healing. So bodhimind is not only for protection and wish-fulfillment, it also is one of the best healing methods. 9) Bodhimind helps you to complete the five paths and the ten stages of the Mahayana, which all are very important. Bodhimind is important at the beginning stage, important during the path and important after enlightenment. These things will come a little later. 10) Bodhimind will make yourself a source of all the happiness for all worldly beings. Worldly beings can only be happy if they receive some kind of relief and their ultimate relief is to become a buddha and to be free from the pains, which can only be developed through spiritual development, which can only come from the heart. Buddha has experienced it. A buddha can only come from a bodhisattva, a bodhisattva can only come from the bodhimind, therefore ultimately whoever possesses the bodhimind, has become the source of happiness for all beings.

The Bodhimind: the Benefits of its Development 27 We have discussed the benefits in detail. Just meditate and go over them, review them, acknowledge them and get yourself acquainted with all these benefits. If possible also recall one quotation and one example each. If that is not possible, just acknowledge the points and meditate.

Since we are dealing with the bodhimind and its development I recommend everybody to say one thousand times OM MANI PADME HUM tonight before you go to bed. And tomorrow morning before you come in, you also do about a hundred Migtsemas and five hundred or if possible a thousand times OM MANI PADME HUM. It does not take much time. With this we conclude here today.

The European archetype of the hero who takes the burden of the whole world on his shoulders and carries all beings to the other shore. blockprint 1423

XIX THE BODHIMIND: THE SEVEN STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT27

ii. How to generate the bodhimind This consists of two parts: the actual practice of development of the bodhimind taking the bodhisattva vow through ritual

1) The actual practice of the development of the bodhimind This consists of two ways: the seven stages of development of the bodhimind the exchange method of development of the bodhimind

The seven stages of development of the bodhimind emphasize looking at all sentient beings as wonderful. This is the system practiced by Chandrakirti, Chandragomin and so forth. The exchange method of development come from Shantideva and a number of others practicing it. The Bodhisattvacharyavatara emphasizes the exchange-stage development rather than the seven-stage development. Both these methods have come from Buddha himself. The first one has come from Buddha through Maitreya to Asanga and so forth [the method line]. The second one came from Buddha through Manjushri to Shantideva and so forth [the wisdom line]. That is why we have these two different systems. No matter which one you practice, it will lead to the bodhimind. You follow whichever is easier to you. We are going to teach both systems. Both have been taught and practiced by lama Serlingpa who presented both of them combined to Atisha, the author of Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment [the first Lamrim]. The method of the seven stages of development does not have all the techniques given in the exchange method of development, but the exchange method of development does have all the techniques given in the seven stages. In Tibet, before Je Tsongkhapa’s time, the seven-stage system was emphasized and the exchange method of development was kept somewhat secret. Jamgon Tsongkhapa, Je Rinpoche, had obtained both of them and combined them, suggesting people should practice both of them in a combined way, which is called The eleven stages of development of the bodhimind. Although you combine them in meditation, the presentation is done separately; otherwise it is going to confuse people completely. By presenting [and studying] them separately you see the differences and after that, when you meditate, you put them together.

27 Also called: Method of the six causes and one result. Literature: Tsongkhapa, The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Lamrim Chenmo, vol. II; Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in Our Hands, vol. III, p. 123-152; Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, p. 565-589; L.S. Dagyab Rinpoche, Achtsamkeit und Versenkung, p. 261-275; Geshe Rabten, The Essential Nectar, p. 139-149, p. 225-230; Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Joyful Path of Good Fortune, p. 400-430; Geshe Thubten Loden, Path to Enlightenment, p. 532-556; Geshe Rabten, Treasury of Dharma, p. 137-157; Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Meaningful to behold, p. 22-32; Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, Tibetan Tradition of Mental Development, p. 104-116. 30 Lam Rim Teachings a) The Seven Stages of Development of the Bodhimind The actual seven stages are divided into two: the causal stage (consisting of six stages) and the result stage, being the bodhimind. But in order to establish the six causes, you need a base to start from, a pre-stage: equanimity. That one is not counted because you don’t want to go beyond the way it was presented. So one pre-stage plus six causal stages plus one result stage becomes eight stages in total.

0) Prestep: Equanimity Why we need equanimity Imagine we have that great mind, bodhimind, within ourselves: a mind that governs us to be totally dedicated to the benefit of others without any conditions; a mind that is also constantly seeking enlightenment; a mind that is occupying place number one on our priority list, in a nice smooth and joyful way, yet it is always there. In order to have that constantly remaining with you, your habitual pattern needs to shift into that direction, so it becomes your habit and your way of thinking. Just taking a vow will not be able to do that. (We talked about that last time.28) So how is it possible for my daily habitual pattern to become like that? We talked about all these great benefits, which inspire us to be able to do it, but how am I going to get into that? By getting my mind trained in that way. I train my mind in such a way that it picks up that habitual pattern as my habitual pattern. 6) How can I develop such a habitual pattern within me? Atisha said, “Gradually get your mind used to it.” That is only possible if I take responsibility. If I take the responsibility on my shoulder, if it is me who has to do it, if it is only me who is concerned, then I will be worried. If I think there can be somebody else who will do it for me, or who will do it with me, I don’t take the responsibility but we share the responsibility. If you have a family, a wife, kids, aunts etc. you will take responsibility. However, you’re not going to take the total load, but you will expect others to do something too. The responsibility of taking decisions will be divided between some people. Yet, the situation may occur that, “I have to do this otherwise this is not going to materialize.” That is different. When you realize, “I have to do it, otherwise it is not going to work out”, you take a heavier responsibility. Watch your own mind; watch your personal feelings on it. Common responsibility is fine, but you are not taking total responsibility. When it totally falls on your head, that responsibility really burdens. When I have that responsibility on me, then with every single thing I do or think about, a part of my mind is on it. I don’t want to give you the bad example of being desperate, but that is the sort of responsibility you will need. That is called special mind. Bodhisattvas take a tremendous burden, but that burden doesn’t bother them. Special mind is the mind which takes full responsibility for liberating the whole of sentient beings, with, “I only am going to do it. I am not going to seek any help from others. If they do it, fine, if they don’t, it doesn’t matter – I am taking total responsibility. Whatever might happen, I am going to liberate all.” It is the total green-brain decision, sort of putting your foot down, saying, “I am going to do it.” That is what is needed. 5) It is not so easy to pick up that mind. How am I going to reach that decision? Well, I have to care for them. Unless I care for you, why should I stick my neck out for you? So in order to make myself committed to this sort of responsibility, I have to develop some very strong care: compassion. 4) If I were to care for you, then there should be some kind of relation with me, otherwise why should I care for you? There must be some connection between you and me. What is the connection? The connection is love. I love you, that is why I care for you. 3) Why should I love you? Because you loved me. Very simple. Because you loved me, you did so much for me, so I really have to do something for you; I want to repay your kindness. 2) How come you’ve been so kind to me? You have saved my life, you have done this and that for me. Millions of reasons will come up in your mind. 1) And the most important reason is: you have been my nearest and dearest. Do you get that picture? The Dalai Lama says, “Look at them as mother beings.” All sentient beings have at one time or another

28 See previous chapter.

The Bodhimind: the Seven Stages of Development 31 been my mother. Not only that. Every time they have been my mother they have saved my life a number of times, tried to protect me, tried to help me, tried to bring me up. There were times that my survival was totally dependent on them. Not necessarily every mother has been very kind, especially not human mothers. The land of the human beings is a realm where funny things can happen. It is said: Because of the change of death and rebirth and the changing of the outside costume we wear, we don’t recognize each other all the time, otherwise we would see that, one time or another, everyone has been a mother being. 0) In order to develop the bodhimind, looking at all sentient beings as our nearest and dearest becomes a first step. Whether that is admissible for us is a question. Looking at sentient beings as beautiful and wonderful is not very difficult for us, but all of them is another thing. Then take one more step: from looking at them as being beautiful and wonderful to looking at all sentient beings as our nearest and dearest, will that be possible? It is possible, but it is difficult. Why it is difficult? Because I have preferences, likes and dislikes. Therefore looking in that way at all sentient beings becomes difficult. How do we solve that problem? That problem will be solved through equanimity.

How to develop equanimity29 There are different kinds of equanimity,30 e.g. feeling-equanimity, which is part of the four mindfulnesses. Here in the context of the seven stages equanimity is limitless equanimity.31 First we have to smoothen our way of looking at people, labeling some as friends and others as enemies. This is the most difficult point: smoothening the mind, ironing out the wrinkles. Our mind has roughness: to some persons we go forwards, from others we back away. That is not smoothness of mind. So we first have to take care to smoothen the mind. How do we do that? I believe there are two systems. One way is to focus on why your mind is not smooth. When you do this, you will find, “Well I can do this for this person, but I cannot do it for that person.” You make a difference among the sentient beings, taking one as close and the other as distant. We have that. In this system we concentrate on all friends together and see why we like them so much. Then we concentrate on all enemies together and see why we hate them so much. Then we concentrate on all these ‘could-not-care’ type of persons. And we will find out why we have these divisions. Another way is to pick up all three categories together and focus on the most important persons representing them: the person you really care for representing the ones you always like to be with, the ones you love. You take whoever comes up in your head at this moment. When you are putting the three people together, one represents the friend, one the enemy and one the indifferent one. The indifferent one is no problem, but for the other two we have to make a good selection. You don’t have to take the same person all the time, because your mind can change. Sometimes your mind may be going out to somebody very much, that is the wishfulfilling jewel, but at other times this person is replaced by somebody else. Make sure you have the wishfulfilling jewel there to represent the friend. And to represent the enemy you have to make sure it is a good representative, a very strong one. Because these are the mates you are going to play with; we have to select the best playmates. The chosen representatives have to be the right persons at the right time. Then it will work. I’ll give you the basic meditation to develop equanimity.

Meditation on equanimity You have these three individuals in front of you. All three are present but you focus on one. Let’s say you start with the one you care for most at this particular time. In your mind’s eye you bring forth an image of that person in front of you. Observe your internal reactions, you physical reactions, your emotional response, sometimes even your physical temperature, all those things. And watch your mind. How do you feel when you see that person?

29 Kathleen McDonald, How to Meditate, p. 89-93. 30 See Gehlek Rimpoche, Lojong: Training of the Mind in Seven Points. 31 For the difference with the equality in the exchange stage, see page 43.

32 Lam Rim Teachings Generally your experience will be: expansiveness, warmth, openness, joy, passion. I mean whatever things you are feeling, are attracting you, feel them very strongly. Then you examine, “Why do I feel that way about this person? What is it about this person that causes me to feel this way? Is it the way the person looks or what is it?” In general what you come to, is that it is something which that person does for you or something about that person that affects you in a particular way. When you examine it from the point of view of many lives you realize, “Okay, right now this person is really great to me, this person makes me really happy.” Then ask your mind, “Why do I feel this way?” and you start reviewing. Generally what you will come to, is: there is something that you get out of being with that person, there is something about that person that you feel personally rewarded by, that makes you feel good, that makes you happy; the person has done something for you, takes care of you, is nice to you – whatever it may be. Then you think again, “Well, how permanent is this really in my life? Right now that person has that role, but when I look back, I can see that many times in my life people who have been very close to me, people that I have loved the most, turned out to be my greatest enemies later.” Or, “The person I thought I couldn’t live without, later on I wouldn’t even notice when he or she walked down the street.” Those kinds of things you analyze. Then you start expanding it over lifetimes. You realize that many, many people have been in that position, have been most close to you. You realize that the individual you loved most, who got you out of balance, in the position of, “Oh I want this one so much, I need this one so much” is very much a temporary state. When you see that, you calm down a little bit, your response becomes a little bit different when you see them. Then you go on to the neutral, the person you feel indifferent about. You bring that person up in front of you and again you observe your response: your physical responses, the expression on your face, the feeling that you have and again you examine, “Why do I feel this way about this person?” In general it is because they don’t do anything for you; you don’t even notice those individuals, they seem to have no effect on you. Because of that you are indifferent to them. And again you examine, “Alright, how many people are there that at one time in my life I may have felt totally indifferent about, then the position changed, the relationship changed and they really became a great alley or a great friend. Something really changed my feelings for them.” In that sense the indifference is based on something that is fleeting and temporary and that we painted so solidly, like “I am indifferent about this person, I really don’t want to do anything for this person, because they don’t need anything from me.” As a result, the feeling of indifference starts to shift a little bit and you begin to feel a little more of a sense of investment in that person and caring for that person too. Then you move to the enemy. This is the most difficult one to bring into balance, because our minds easily get angry and upset. When we really focus and immediately try to like or love our enemy, we can get incredibly upset and frustrated. You have to approach it gradually. Look at this person of whom you think, “This is the person I really hate the most, the person that really bothers me the most.” When you really visualize this enemy, your body sensations, your physical reactions and your emotional reactions can be very strong. Then look: “Why is this person bothering me so much? Why are they irritating me so much?” Generally it is because of something they have done to you or to a family member or to something you care about. You feel that in some way they harmed you or intended to harm you and because of that you hate them or feel an intense sense of anger, or you want to see them get harmed. Then again you examine how a friend changed into an enemy and an enemy into a friend. Many times in our lives, people we felt to be our enemy or rival, later become a great ally or friend. And looking over periods of lifetimes, the sense of ‘enemy’ turns out to be a temporary condition. So as a result the feeling towards that person in front of you starts to soften. When you look at him or her, you have less of those strong negative feelings and you start to come into balance.

The Bodhimind: the Seven Stages of Development 33 That shows that on a deeper level friend, enemy and neutral one don’t evoke those different responses. You feel a sense of equality towards all of them, because you see them all in a wider context.

Additional advice on how to do a meditation on equanimity Analyzing. At the time you meditate you are not really upset and angry, yet you see your anger towards the enemy. So this is the time to apply patience, this is the time to stop gross anger as well as gross passion. On both of them, you work very hard during this equanimity meditation. Put your emphasis on the reasoning part of it: what is the reason why I have to be so upset when I see this enemy? Why do I try to avoid contact? Why do I look down on this person? Why do I hate this person? That is the most important thing: why I hate him or her. You can give your simple valid reasons, like “Because he cheated me, beat me, lied to me, did this or that to me” – whatever your reason is. If you have an enemy, you know the reason. Now bring up your reasons and examine them, see how valid they are relatively and how valid they are in the absolute sense. If you go really deep down, you will find not much of a valid reason. Whatever valid reason comes up, you examine further and further. You don’t want to defeat a valid reason, but sometimes when we examine very carefully how valid it is, it might not stand. This is the analytical meditation you have to do before you get into the equalizing. If you just say “enemy, friend and neutral are equal” and keep your eyes closed, you are turning yourself stupid. That is not the right thing to do. You first you have to analyze: why, why, why. Each one of your reasons you examine in detail and analyze how valid it is. Then you’ll see it is not valid at all. However, your goal should not be to defeat your reasons. You goal should be to find the true value of why you are reacting that way. If you take the defeat of your reason as a goal, you are on shaky ground. Treat your reasons as true reasons, go into them deeply, examine them and if you really find some valid reason in that, it means you have to discuss and examine it further. The same thing you apply to the friend, your passion person of that moment, the person you can’t live without for a single minute. Try to think how you take every opportunity to grab, to possess. Try to see that condition for what it is. Look how your mind has been sort of colored; not misled, but painted. See how in your mind the object has been exaggerated, how much additional paint you’ve put onto it. That is the exaggeration. It means, you are dealing with attachment. These are the two major important jobs. Be careful: don’t overdo it, but don’t underdo it either.

Recognizing. Recognize the anger and observe how you are getting angry – your physical reactions, your mental reactions. If you want to fight with the anger you will first have to recognize it. You cannot fight the anger without recognizing it. You cannot fight passion or lust or whatever without recognizing it. First recognize, then fight. Don’t shoot your arrows blindly. Recognize! Don’t bring in very strong anger, because that will create problems. Just recognize and observe. By observing and recognizing it, the power of your anger or the power of your passion will be shaken and will reduce. It is good to recognize when you are angry. It is good to recognize when you are overpowered by passion. If at the time you are angry, you can catch it, great! If you cannot catch it straightaway, use a produced mental picture [in your meditation], which will be a weaker one. That mental picture of anger, that mental picture of passion, you try to catch. Work with that and deal with it. Okay? Good luck. i) Recognition of everybody as one’s mother or ultimate friend Now, after developing equanimity, the first among the seven steps is: recognition of everybody as ultimate friend, as best friend, as closest friend. The best friend here actually becomes the mother. According to the tradition I should say: if you do not develop this recognizing every sentient being as your best friend, then you will probably never be able to develop the bodhimind. Even before recognizing everybody as your best friend, you have to recognize everybody as reincar- nated32, reborn. If you do not recognize beings as being reincarnated, then you cut out so much. But, how can you recognize everybody as reincarnated? This is a very big question.

32 Do not confuse this with the term ‘reincarnated lamas’, which refers to recognized reincarnations.

34 Lam Rim Teachings Whether everybody is reincarnated or not is not so much the question; it is very important for us to recognize that we ourselves are reincarnated. Are you reincarnated? Your previous existence was not you. We don’t even know whether it was a she. This is very difficult to get developed in an individual, because there is not really a way to prove to ourselves that we are reincarnated. Of course, somehow we have indications. The best we can get is reasonable arguments and reasonable coincidences. That makes us think, “Maybe.”

Continuation of mind. Buddha says: The cause of the beings, of the mind, is such a thing, it has to be a continuation of itself, a continuation of mind. In other words, rocks and mud etc. do not become a cause of mind at all. The cause of mind has to be mind. Mind is always a continuation of mind itself. Non-mind cannot become mind. Matter does not become mind. That is what we can reasonably accept: matter cannot become mind, mind is always a continuation of mind itself. Audience: What about spirits of trees and rocks? Rinpoche: Spirits occupy the trees and the rocks, they remain in there. Audience: Does that mean there are no new lives coming, no new beings? Is there no new creation? Rinpoche: That is right, yes. That is why you recognize each other. That is why Ram Dass says, “Try to recognize that there is nobody which you have not been with before; it are all your old friends’. You may not recognize them, that is true, but it is not that you never met before. Audience: I think there is a possibility of new lives being created. Rinpoche: I doubt it. Think about the billions and billions of lives that one went through and the billions and billions and billions of companionships that we went through. So, it is very difficult to find somebody that you did not meet before. The remembrance is limited. Audience: I have difficulties with that. Rinpoche: Theoretically nothing has been proved, but Buddha says it. Buddha said, Ultimately there will be a time that all sentient beings will be enlightened, because there are no new sentient beings that will come. Why? Because mind is mind and matter is matter. Audience: Where did the mind arise from anyway? Rinpoche: There is no answer. When that question was raised Buddha didn’t answer. Audience: If no new mind arises, was the mind ever new or was it never new? Rinpoche: Probably never new. An Indian professor, who was called a buddhist professor and gave lec- tures, said, “Buddha was asked, ‘Where is the beginning of the mind?’ and Buddha kept silence. This silence is a great answer.” That is what he says. But actually the books say Buddha didn’t answer that, because whatever answer he would give, it was not going to be very much acceptable unless and until people themselves would see and experience it. Buddha doesn’t answer that, true. But he insists that mind is always a continuation of mind and matter is a continuation of itself. He made a big division between mind and matter. When Buddha was asked whether there will be an end, he said yes, an individual end. On the question whether there will be an end of existence, Buddha kept silent. Beginning or end both. That is why we say even the arhat-level [nirvana, being free from samsara] is not the absolute buddhist view. The Theravadins say: every existence is the result of non-virtue; the body is the result of non- virtue and suffering, so when an individual obtains the arhat level he will be an arhat [in a samsaric body] till he dies. They call that an arhat with left-over [samsaric result]. Then, they say, if you have become an arhat and you die, that is the end of it; there is no continuation. The Mahayana viewpoint is: even arhats have to leave that peaceful, joyful semi-zombie state [of nirvana] after some time and have to continue and join the Mahayana, because there is no disappearance. Reincarnation is possible because mind is a continuation of mind and matter is a continuation of materials. Because mind is a continuation of mind, there is a limit of mind. There may be billions of minds,

The Bodhimind: the Seven Stages of Development 35 but no new mind is produced. Don’t think of a limit which you can measure like grains in a container. Mind is limited by itself, therefore it changes continuously. Even after becoming a buddha mind will continue. The only question is whether it continues with or without pain, with limitation or without limitation. When you talk about enlightenment it continues without limitation from the knowledge point of view, from the quality point of view and from the joyfulness point of view. This is going beyond Lamrim, this is pramana, Dharmakirti’s logic, and abhidharma, philosophical and psychological analysis of existence, mixed.

The idea of mother-beings is an analogy, but the idea behind it is: you cannot leave out anybody who hasn’t been your best friend. Likewise you can’t leave out anybody who has not been your worst enemy. That is a true fact. But, as we want to develop love-compassion and we don’t want to develop hatred, we look from the point of view of the friend. So, try to recognize everybody [as having been your nearest or dearest]. You do tot necessarily have to recognize beings by face or physical appearance. You need the person-to-person, the heart-to-heart, the mind-to-mind recognition. Being able to do that, looking carefully into it and recognizing them as having been your best friend, is very, very hard to develop! That realization is really hard to gain! It is going to take a hell of a lot of time. It is the obstacle in developing the bodhimind. It is funny. It looks like one little Buddhist point, recognizing everybody else as best friend or mother being, but this is where people get really stuck. It can take a couple of years or even decades. Just remember that and no matter how much time it takes, it is worth spending it on this point! Once you recognize all beings as your best friend, then it becomes very simple, the following steps go sort of automatically. ii) Remembering the kindness we received from others People become best friends to each other because they have been helpful to each other, sensitive, kind and supportive. To somebody who has been kind, supporting and sensitive, are you grateful? Yes. So, you see, remembering the kindness comes almost automatically: your best friend has been supporting you; for whatever need you had he or she has been sensitive to you; whenever you really needed them, they were there. So if you can develop the recognition of the best friend, then remembering the kindness comes by itself. The analogy given is the mother’s kindness, the mother’s love, the mother who would choose to die herself instead of having the child die, the mother who wanted to get sick herself instead of the child getting sick etc. Don’t look at human mothers, because that is sometimes a problem for us. Look at the birds, the animals, they have a natural mother instinct to protect their babies. The analogy of the mother can really work: you use the kindness and love given by the mother as an example. If the mother works for you, fine. If not, try the father, the girlfriend, boyfriend, whatever. Although somehow that same feeling is not there. Mothers have a very special care for the kids. A few months ago I read in the newspaper that there was a plane-crash and they found a mother laying on the child, trying to protect it. These are the indications. When you look in that direction, once you recognize that all beings have been your best friend at one time or another, you will automatically see their kindness and compassion. You are not looking for somebody who has been your best friend for the last year or the last twenty years, you are looking for life after life, millions of years. iii) Wanting to repay the kindness we received from others Once you develop the ‘remembering their kindness’, what do you do? You want to repay that. That is sort of natural. Look at our normal attitude. We’ll say, “Well, I am willing to do that much for this person.” We have that kind of limitation. And out of this willingness most goes to our family. Why the family? Because they are the best friend, you are responsible for them, or whatever reasons you may have. All reasons we have on the family are double or triple available for someone you would call your best friend for multi-billions of years. We make ourselves feel responsible for the family, because “It is my family.” But for how many years? For twenty, thirty, fifty or eighty years at the most. Here we look at somebody who has really been your family for millions of years at one time or another. Therefore you are willing to do much more.

36 Lam Rim Teachings Besides that, it is our responsibility. Even in the worldly things that counts. If somebody has been good to you all the time and that person comes in need and you have the possibility of helping, if you then refuse to do it and look the other way, how do we consider that person? The condition here is: most of the sentient beings have been our best friend for many years and a number of lives, so we are indebted to those beings. When they need us and we have the possibility of helping, if we turn our backs on them, what kind of person are we going to be then? A lower-character person. Such a character is not really appreciated by other people and is going to be condemned by other beings. You make a good person by behaving good. Persons are judged by their actions rather than by their words. We don’t want to make ourselves of low quality, a condemnable being. We don’t want to behave badly when somebody has been so good to us all the time and they need us now. If you can’t help, it is a different matter. But if you have the capacity and the possibility to help and you turn your back, that is a bad act. We don’t want to be bad, so we have to do something. All sentient beings are seeking our help. Each one of us here is seeking help. Why are you people here? You are seeking help. Why am I here? I am seeking help. Each one of us is seeking help. The same goes for all sentient beings. Look outside, even those who think they help themselves, are actually seeking help. Seeking help from whom? From sentient beings. Even if you say you seek help from God, actually you are seeking help from sentient beings. Whenever we have to get some benefit, whether material or spiritual, to whom do we turn? We turn to sentient beings. Do you agree or not? A seller is seeking help from the customers; if there are no customers, sellers won’t even exist. Remember, buddhas have come out of bodhisattvas, bodhisattvas have come out of compassion, and compassion is only possible because of sentient beings, so you cannot get anything from Buddha or God without seeking help from sentient beings. No way. Can you see it? Each one of us is seeking help, every sentient being is seeking help, because we all desire happiness. When you seek buddhahood you are seeking happiness. So everybody is seeking happiness. By chance we are in a position that we can at least try to do something, because we see what is real happiness and what is not. A lot of people do not recognize happiness at all. That is where the delusion comes in. I don’t think we have ever experienced real joy, real pleasure. We really don’t know that. So people think it is something different and that is why some people even enjoy pain. We are at least looking for the right direction, at least we know whether we are supposed to go right or left. We are at least supposed to know some path, some way, so we are in a much better position, much better off than they are.

In the Tibetan tradition the teachers used to say: suppose you have a kind compassionate mother over there, who has been so good and caring for you. Now that mother has become blind and is walking towards some kind of deep cliff, and down there is a burning fire. By taking one wrong step, she could fall down completely. You have been her child, you have eyes and legs and everything okay, you see that and you just sit there and watch and let her fall. That is not nice. You cannot do that. You have to do something for your mother. You may not have the power to help completely, but you can’t just sit there and watch her fall. You have to do something, because your eyes are okay, your legs are okay, you can use your mind, you are capable, you can do something. Similarly, we are in this condition. The sentient beings who have been kind to us all the time, are like blind because they don’t know what is right and what is wrong. They don’t even know what brings pleasure and what brings pain. The causes they create they think to be causes for pleasure, yet they are working for pain and suffering and they don’t even know it – they are blind. We are at least seeing it, we also have legs, we do have a method, Mahayana or Vajrayana or something which makes it possible to do something, so we are in a better position. We are indebted to them for so many years so if we don’t return the kindness, if we don’t try to do something… We have to do something. Look at them, how great, how kind they have been to you. From their point of view they are in a very sad condition, all of them. I was talking to a friend the other day and said, “How do you find it in America after having been in the east for so many years?” She said, “Sad. Sad because they are prospering so much and they don’t even know what the cause is and don’t have a clue about suffering.” It is by sheer luck that we are able to share this thing. Really, I tell you, we are lucky. So we have to do something, we have to commit ourselves to the benefit of them as well as to the benefit of ourselves. It is a mutual interest. Each of our own developments we cannot obtain without depending on sentient beings. And the sentient beings will not be able to

The Bodhimind: the Seven Stages of Development 37 develop without depending on me. I want to develop myself and I also want to help. And they sit and they want and need to be a little better off. So you try to put your hand out and try to help. I think it is needed. iv) Great Love v) Great Compassion33 Therefore we have the next steps. When we look at those people, we see it is really a sad condition they are in. They want happiness, but what they have is problems and misery all the time. We really care for them and have to see what the best way is to help them. So the desire of helping, the desire of removing their pains as quickly as possible, is what we should really have. That is what we really should do. That is becoming compassion. Not only do we remove their pains, we make them happy and joyful and their pains should be able to be replaced by joy, not by boredom but by joy. That becomes love, real powerful love, real caring for the person, “I really want to make them happy.” That is love. Like when we fall in love with somebody. How much feelings you get then, that much you have to practice your mind in, sit and think and try to come to that stage. That is the development of love. The other way is the development of compassion. There are slightly different types of love that will get introduced. The love of the exchange method of development of bodhimind and the love of the seven stages of development of bodhimind are slightly different, although both are love. There is not much to tell you here. You have to meditate and think and practice and you have to feel it. You have to develop a heartfelt feeling. When you feel it by heart, then it becomes love and compassion. vi) Special mind, crazy commitment, superior intention When you have very strong love and compassion, you say, “I really want to do it, I really have to do it, I am going to do it!” You make a promise, a commitment, saying. “I am going to do it!” Then you turn around and say, “Hey, wait a minute, how can I do it? What do I have to do?” Then immediately you say, “If I become a buddha then I will have the ultimate capability, then I can do it better. So let me seek buddhahood; I can do this!” You get the picture? That is how. It is very simple, only three sentences to talk, but that is exactly what it is. vii) Generating the bodhimind34 This is the seventh stage. Until now we say that our goal is to become a buddha, to become enlightened. But this is still what we have taught you, what you accepted, what you think is best. You read about it, heard about it, thought it is good, so that is what you were sticking to. But when you develop the bodhimind you have the special feeling, “I am going for it!” When you develop that, you developed the bodhimind. That is what it is. You will not get the bodhimind developed by talking. The talking can give you some better idea and understanding, but you have to meditate on it.

You should read. Read Pabongka’s Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, and other Lamrims available35. But do not try to read Wheel of Sharp Weapons and all this lojong just now. Don’t read any lojong at this moment. It will come after you get a little bit used to it. In lojong you are the person who will be blamed for everything, which at this moment is a little too difficult. So don’t read it at this moment. I am not criticizing lojong, but this is not the time to do it. Read the Bodhisattvacharyavatara and its commentary from now on36. The way you do that is this: read the verse and then read the commentary, read the verse, read the commentary and then go back and forth with the Lamrim and see it. We have to do something good on this. So do those.

33 Kathleen McDonald, How to meditate, p. 94-96 (meditation on love), p. 121-125 (meditation on compassion). 34 Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, ch. (2 and) 3. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Meaningful to behold, ch. (2 and) 3.Chögyam Trungpa, The Heart of the Buddha, ch. 6. 35 Follow the notes on the literature of each chapter. 36 Gehlek Rimpoche, Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [is presently still being taught; new chapters are still coming out] Most important at this stage are the chapters I to IV.

38 Lam Rim Teachings

Shantideva

XX THE BODHIMIND: THE EXCHANGE METHOD OF DEVELOPMENT37

Introduction Atisha and compassion. I would like to share a few anecdotes. In the time when Atisha came to Tibet, the Tibetan, Mongolian and Chinese lamas used to wear funny costumes with lots of brocade and they used to come on horses with a number of retinue. When Atisha first came to Tibet, a number of big Tibetan lamas came together from all directions to see Atisha. They all reached the same point almost at the same time. They were supposed to be there earlier than Atisha, but Atisha had arrived two or three days before. When they arrived, people said to Atisha, “All these great big lamas are coming to see you.” Atisha went upstairs and saw them coming on horses from all the different directions. He went downstairs, put a blanket over his head and said, “The Tibetan ghosts are coming!” Once, when Atisha was chitchatting with his disciples, he said, “You Tibetans know bodhisattvas who do not know how to meditate love and compassion. In India such a bodhisattva doesn’t exist, but you people do know them.” Atisha and most of the early Kadampa masters always gave sarcastic remarks. In other words he was trying to say that bodhisattvas who do not have love-compassion cannot be bodhisattvas. They said, “What can we do?” Atisha replied, “You have to build it up gradually from the beginning.” You are not going to become a bodhisattva all of a sudden. Although you may take a bodhisattva vow that does not make you a bodhisattva. Atisha is trying to say here that nobody is going to be bodhisattva overnight. It needs gradual, constant efforts and training of the mind, either via the Seven Stages or by the Exchange Method or by the combination of those: the Eleven Stages.

At about this time it is normal to take the bodhisattva vow through ritual. When the Lamrim is completely over, we are supposed to do that; we normally do it, too. But even then, the real bodhisattva will only develop through a mental development which is built up gradually.

Self-cherishing. There were two very important Kadampa masters called Langri Tangpa and Sharawa. Langri Tangpa said, “Sharawa and I have nineteen different things in common; eighteen are the material way38 and the nineteenth one is the dharma way. The nineteenth one has one human and one horse activity. The human activity that I share with Sharawa is to develop the bodhimind and to make all our activities be for the service of all other sentient beings.” The horse activity has obstacles. You have to train a horse, right? You can’t ride a wild horse because it will throw you off. If we have not developed the bodhimind, it is because of the obstacle which will not let us develop the bodhimind. Or if by chance we did develop it, this obstacle will cause the bodhimind not to last long. That obstacle is self-cherishing. We have to train our mind. Langri Tangpa says.

37 Literature: Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, ch. 8, vs. 90-184; Tsongkhapa, The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Lamrim Chenmo, vol. II; L.S. Dagyab Rinpoche, Achtsamkeit und Versenkung, p. 275-281; Geshe Rabten, The Essential Nectar, p. 149-151; p. 230-234; Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Joyful Path of Good Fortune, p. 431-448; Geshe Thubten Loden, Path to Enlightenment, p. 556-568; Geshe Rabten, Treasury of Dharma, p. 157-175. 38 Eighteen refers to many. If you do all kind of different things, the expression is: “He does eighteen different things.” 40 Lam Rim Teachings Show your cold shoulder to the self-cherishing thoughts and try to harm them as much as you can. Show your face to the sentient beings and try to help as much as you can. This is what I share with Sharawa. Self-cherishing is the real obstacle for the bodhimind. . If we never develop the bodhimind it will be because of self-cherishing. We may talk nicely and say, “All mother sentient beings, how kind they are! I want to repay their kindness, I will care for them; how can I help?” When you hear about it I don’t think there is a problem, but when you really sit down and start thinking, “Well, now I am going to give up all my own priorities, I am really going to work for the benefit of all sentient beings and in order to do that I really have to give up everything”, then a lot of us will have problems. How can we practice dharma and live a respectable life with a professional job? We try to find some kind of middle way and that is hard. It becomes an additional problem and we already have tremendous work-related pressure and family obligations and the problem of paying our bills. We have to go on what we call ‘minimal surviving lines’. We try to do two things at the same time: to have dharma practice and also to try to live respectably in the material world. We have to, but there are very few people who can somehow live on it. Very, very few. Why? Because of our self-cherishing. We are not free of self- cherishing at all. Neither you nor me nor anybody around. Deep down we do have the problem of self- cherishing, otherwise we would not be bothered at all, we could be homeless people roaming around. But we don’t want to be that. That is not only individual self-cherishing; it is also dharma-self-cherishing. We don’t want dharma people to be homeless people only. Instead of benefiting all sentient beings, it would bring about a very funny image. Yet it actually comes out of self-cherishing. Earlier, in the Kadampa period, in the 10th century, it was okay. You could live in a cave in the Hi- malayas in Tibet, no problem. Khamlungpa used to live with one bowl only. In the morning he gets up and washes the bowl, fills it up with water and makes offerings. After some time he says, “May I use your bowl please?” He takes the bowl away, uses it, after that he washes it and puts it back on the altar. He could manage to live like that. Milarepa, who lived almost in the same period, also managed to live that way. He lived on nettles and greens only. If we had to do this sort of thing, self-cherishing would be our problem. For sure.

Bodhimind as the essence of practice. Atisha had a disciple who always meditated. He was known as Nel- jorba (meaning ‘yogi’) or Gömbowa (meaning ‘meditator’). Since he had met Atisha and had started taking teachings, he remained in retreat and meditated all the time. Ever since Drom Rinpoche had met At- isha he accompanied him wherever he went and helped him with whatever he did. He was totally devoted to Atisha and acted as his translator. He wore very funny clothes, a sort of cheap skin coat, with fur inside and some kind of long belt to tie it together. As Dromtönpa was always translating Atisha, he never had time to meditate. Another guy, called Amé39, a Kadampa master, acted as a cook all the time. He didn’t even have time to attend the teachings and had no time to practice or meditate. The great yogi meditator meditated all the time and didn’t do anything else. One day he thought, “Well, Drom has been busy helping Atisha all the time and Amé has been busy cooking all the time, I am the only one who not only got all the teachings, but was also able to meditate, so I must be the top person.” Atisha came to know about that thought. He kept quiet, but one day he said, “Well, we have to compete who has developed higher.” Neljorba was sure he would be the best one. In the competition Atisha asked questions and eventually concluded, “Neljorba, forget about Drom Rinpoche, you cannot even meet the level of Amé at all.” That was the biggest shock to Neljorba. Do you know why that is happening? Because of devotion. Everyday life has been proved to be much more powerful than anything else. It is the guru-devotional practice that does it. The work you do for this purpose becomes much more effective then that of meditating. That is the great point here. Sometimes people here also work very hard and then say, “Well, I did a lot and I can’t do any more.” That is fine, but that is also saying “I can’t do any more practice.” Do you hear me? No you don’t. Even people who really worked hard and did a lot of work sometimes think, “I did so much and I didn’t get

39 Ames Jangchub Rinchen.

The Bodhimind: The Eleven Stages of Development 41 rewarded.” And some think, “I wasted a lot of time for doing this and that.” I don’t think it is wasted time, nor will it go unrewarded. I think it becomes a major practice. Neljorba told Dromtönpa, “I can meditate and sit for a long period without breathing.” Drom Rinpoche replied: You may have great power to sit and to meditate, so much so that even a big drum beaten near your ear may not be able to disturb you, but even though you may have that much concentration power, if you do not have love-compassion and altruistic bodhimind, you will be reborn in a place where you can’t sleep and have to do purifications day and night. Dromtönpa had this in mind: if you have great concentration power and you temporarily suppress the delusions like anger, hatred etc., then even though you keep on concentrating and have great meditations, if you do not have love-compassion, bodhimind, you are not really getting any effect, except that you may be reborn as a samsaric god of the form realm or formless realm, as one of those who have the power to see past and future. He said, When you are born as a formless god and you see your past time, you see your mistakes, so you will have no time to do anything but purifying those, day and night. Neljorba Rinpoche Gömbowa, great meditator, this is going to be your problem. Indirectly he emphasized trying to develop the bodhimind, which is – or should be – the essence of the practice. Really. If people ask you, “What is your essence practice?” a lot of people will say, “My essence practice is Yamantaka” or they mention Vajrayogini, or emptiness, or dzog chen… But if you do not develop the bodhimind nothing can happen.

Lochö Rinpoche told me the story. At the time Dagyab Rinpoche first came to Central Tibet, to Drepung, Kyabje Lochö Rinpoche was there. Lochö Rinpoche was not as well-known as he is these days, but at that time he was a great teacher already. Even though Dagyab Rinpoche was young he was very, very high, so everybody had to respect him. Now Dagyab Rinpoche had pinched Lochö Rinpoche. Lochö Rinpoche thought, “He pinched me quite hard, but with his rank and all this…” Then he thought, “Well, these young kids should not be spoiled in that way, because they will become rotten lamas later.” So he said, “You can’t pinch me.” Dagyab Rinpoche said, “Why not?” Lochö Rinpoche told him, “When you arrived here a couple of months ago, all the people of Dagyab, the rinpoches, the monks, the geshes, the monasteries and the lay people all joined together with folded hands, saying, ‘Our great leader is now going to Central Tibet for studies. We need outstanding teachers, who will not only be able to teach him knowledge, but also to affect him, to bring up his personality.’ They collected the names and did you see whose names were there?” (They had selected a few names to choose Dagyab Rinpoche’s personal teacher and Lochö Rinpoche’s name was also on the list, not yet confirmed.) “That kept him quiet for a little while, the little boy”, he said. Then he continued, “Because of your previous Dagyab Kyabgöns you are ranking very high, but as far as spiritual development and knowledge is concerned, you cannot compete with me. Not only that. Even if you collect all the horses in Dagyab and start chasing me, you cannot catch me. Even if you borrow cars from the Chinese you are not going to catch me. If you get some kind of special plane that may be able to fly over, then maybe you’re able to catch my feet.” He really went heavily on him, kept him completely down. Then at the end Lochö Rinpoche said, “Anyway, I have one question for you: what is your essence practice?” Then Dagyab Rinpoche, a little kid of about eleven maybe, started searching in his mind in Tsongkhapa’s shortest Lamrim, and said “Rinchen sem… my essence practice is the bodhimind.” Lochö Rinpoche said he couldn’t say anything and had to keep quiet. He felt a bit embarrassed, going so heavy on him and then… “My essence practice is the bodhimind.”

Great compassion being important at all stages. The essence of one’s practice should really be the bodhimind. No matter what your practice might be, yidams, mantras, wisdom-emptiness, you have to combine them, but still, the real essence is the bodhimind, which in particular is the bodhisattvas’ and buddhas’ compassion. This is absolutely important at the beginning level. And it is absolutely important at the path level. And it is absolutely important at the result level. Even the great Chandrakirti, who teaches the

42 Lam Rim Teachings

Madhyamika, the wisdom part of the teachings, made in his Guide to the Middle Way [Skt. Madhyamaka- vatara] the initial praise to the great compassion. Love is the seed for a magnificent crop – the state of a Victor. Like water, love makes that crop grow. And much later it ripens into the thing most desired. As if it had matured and was ready for use. That is why at the outset I praise compassion. Compassion is important at the base. At the beginning it is like a seed. If you want to collect corn, first you have to put the corn seed down; if there is no seed nothing can grow. Compassion is like a seed of crop; it is absolutely necessary at the beginning. During the path period it is like water, heat and fertilizer. During the growth, if there is no water, if the land is completely dry, there is no hope of any crop. Likewise compassion acts like the water which makes the seed grow. Compassion is the inspiration for our practice. When we feel a lack of inspiration, it is a clear indication we lack compassion, that we don’t care about helping people and that includes ourselves. Often we hear our practitioner friends complain, “No inspiration, no inspiration.” It is a true complaint, but what you are truly saying is, “No compassion, no compassion.” When I hear people complaining, “I have no inspiration at all”, what I am really hearing is, “I have no compassion.” Inspiration comes from compassion; that is why compassion is very important during the path stage. And it is absolutely important during the result stage. When you become a buddha and you don’t have love-compassion, that buddha can only go on a picnic and enjoy life. What else? He has completed his work, so he will take a holiday forever. Compassion makes the buddhas not rest all the time; it makes them work. The inspiration for the buddhas is also the compassion. It makes them think, “Hey, I developed bodhimind for a purpose, I practiced for a purpose, I have obtained the stage of a buddha for a purpose, so now I have to act!” That shows how important the love-compassion, the altruistic mind, is. These three things have to be you major essence of practice. Who cares if one has a very strong concentrated meditation and can meditate Yamantaka as big as a mountain? Nobody. Without love and compassion a mountain-sized Yamantaka will be a huge powerful ghost in a future life. The great teachers early in India and also the Tibetan teachers used to pray: May my mind go towards dharma. May my dharma go towards the path. May my path not have any obstacles. “May my mind go towards the dharma” means removing the interest for the material world and building a determination to be free of sufferings and pains, samsara. “May my dharma become the path” means that every practice should have the influence of the bodhimind, so that it will lead towards the buddha stage. If you don’t have love-compassion, bodhimind, no matter what you do, although it may be good work, it doesn’t lead to enlightenment. So love-compassion is really, really important. Pabongka says, Take all the time you need and try to develop this mind within you. And if you have developed it, be happy about it. If you have not developed it, then don’t sit idle, go and find a friend who can lead you to this path, read books giving the true information about it, generate merit in order to develop this and purify the non-virtues that will become obstacles to develop this. If you follow this then all the conditions for the seed to ripen will be right within us, so we will achieve something very important. And Je Tsongkhapa emphasizes, This is not a small job. It is very, very important work. Atisha further said: Those who wish to join the Mahayana practice through the doorway of the Mahayana path, when you can’t see the path because there is darkness, the light is, like the sunshine, the bodhimind; when it is difficult to go because it is hot, the cooling effect is, like the moon, the bodhimind.

The Bodhimind: The Eleven Stages of Development 43 Even if you have to spend one hundred eons of work for gaining this, it is worthwhile for you. Remember, during period of the Kadampa masters someone said, “Should I meditate? Should I do circumambulations? Should I do prostrations?” etc. And the teacher kept on replying, “I wish you would do a dharma practice.” The major mind, the major practice during that period was the bodhimind. They want you to practice bodhimind, then everything will be okay.

In short, our inspiration, the seed, comes from the compassion; our water to grow it is compassion; the result level, becoming useful for other people, is also compassion. So being kind and being compassionate is what we have to do. Read, think carefully and meditate. Analyze, spend time on it, and try to practice it in daily life. Every single little thing you do should have a love-compassion touch. If that becomes our habitual pattern, then whatever we do, even going to the toilet, becomes a great activity.

Bodhimind and Mahayana. For a practice to become a Mahayana practice, the doorway is the bodhimind. If your practice is penetrated by bodhimind, is love-compassion oriented from beginning to end, then it becomes Mahayana practice. This is a very important point and we have to be very, very certain and there should not be any mistake at all. In English they sometimes say: it is not negotiable. So refuge influence and bodhimind are the keys, they are not negotiable at all. If you want to be Mahayana practitioner the bodhimind is not negotiable and if you want to be a Buddhist practitioner the refuge is not negotiable. The words you use don’t matter, but what does matter is what your mind is really focused on, what you picture and how you take it. That is what really matters. b) The Exchange Method of Development of the Bodhimind – five steps i) Equalizing self and others

No one wants even the slightest suffering, Or is ever content with the happiness they have; In this we are all alike. Inspire me to find joy in making others happy. Lama Chöpa, vs. 5640 This verse gives you the major meditation on the equality between myself and others. There is no difference between what I want and what they want. What I need to do is to recognize that. Until we recognize that, we build human barriers, “If anyone comes in my way, I want to get them out. If there is any attack on me, I want it out of the way so that not I but others will be hurt. I sacrifice others for my happiness.” Don’t we do that? We do. We sacrifice other human beings for our sake, the big or the small way. For example, when there is somebody shooting, you hide behind someone else or you push that someone else in front of you. That is the bigger way we sacrifice them. And don’t think we will hesitate to hide behind somebody. This might not be very likely to happen to us, but what can easily happen to us is that we sacrifice others in order to save ourselves from embarrassment. And that is a clear sign we have not recognized the equality of my needs and others’ needs. I need comfort, the others need comfort, but I don’t recognize that. Sacrificing other beings to save your own face is like hiding behind others when the bullet comes. When we talk about ourselves and our own interests, we consider it very important, very precious and very valuable, superior to others. But I don’t believe we are that much superior to others at all. As human beings we are equal.

Although it is not mentioned, out of the seven stages of development of the bodhimind, all the stages from equanimity to love are contained in this equality here. Also, the remaining points, the special mind plus the bodhimind are the same, there is no difference. However, there is a difference on love and compassion. The difference is not that there is a separate love and a separate compassion. The difference is also not in the word ‘great’, because both are great love

40 Counting according to Gehlek Rimpoche, Guru Devotion.

44 Lam Rim Teachings and great compassion41. The difference here is the force, how strong you feel it. In the Seven Stages you recognize all sentient beings as mother beings, you recognize how kind they have been during that period, you remember what they have done, etc. But in this exchange practice it is not only remembering their kindness during the period of being a mother, but also recognizing their kindness in the period of not having been a mother. That means: they have always been very kind to me; their kindness doesn’t depend on being a mother. The mother business has just been put in to suit our minds. In actual reality they have always been kind and compassionate. How kind they have been at the time they were my enemy! That is why this practice is considered more powerful. ii) The disadvantages of self-cherishing: self-cherishing as the source of all problems Before you can exchange self and others you have to overcome an obstacle. What obstacle? Self- cherishing. Not self-compassion but self-cherishing. In order to clear that, we have to see the faults of self- cherishing and see the quality of cherishing others. So, turn to the Lama Chöpa, verse 57: Seeing that the chronic disease of self-cherishing Is the cause of my unwanted suffering, Inspire me to put the blame where blame is due And vanquish the great demon of clinging to self. If you have to have some kind of enemy, this is your enemy here. Why is it an enemy? Because it is a chronic disease that you cannot get rid of, the doorway through which you get all sufferings. That is the real thing here. In addition to that the Bodhisattvacharyavatara says: [And] whatever suffering there is in this world All comes from desiring myself to be happy. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 8, vs. 129 Self-cherishing is responsible for the creation of all sufferings. No question. If there were no self- cherishing there would be no suffering. If there would be no American interest in it, there would be no reason to intervene in other countries. Even natural disasters like famine are caused by self-cherishing: due to the self-cherishing of a group of people that karma was created and this is the common karmic result. The fact that some have more and some have less, or that some people may be able to get out and some can’t, is because of the different conditions people have. Two more verses from the Bodhisattvacharyavatara: “If I give this, what shall I (have left to) enjoy?” – Such selfish thinking is the way of ghosts; “If I enjoy this, what shall I (have left to) give?” – Such selfless thinking is a quality of the gods. If all the injury, Fear and pain in this world Arise from grasping at a self, Then what use is that great ghost to me? Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 8, vs. 125, 134 Here self-cherishing is called a ‘great ghost’ that brings all the sufferings. Also Chekawa’s Lojong root text says, “Banish the one object of every blame”42, which means: self-cherishing. It is not saying, “It is all because I did it wrong!” Don’t misunderstand that. In order to train your mind to get rid of self-cherishing, you put all the blame on the self-cherishing thought.

The story of Drugpa Kunleg. Drugpa Kunleg, the founder of the Drugpa Kagyu tradition, was a very interesting person, a completely wild guy.43 He roamed around carrying bow and arrow. When someone died people would go and ask him to pray, saying, “Please help that person”, but to some he said yes and

41 The word ‘great’ refers to having all sentient beings as its object. 42 See chapter XXII. 43 Literature: Keith Dowman, The Divine Madman.

The Bodhimind: The Eleven Stages of Development 45 to some he said no. Moreover, they always had to offer him something, because if you don’t have anything to offer, then even if the person tries to do something, it doesn’t really work. One day an old woman died on the street somewhere and on her body a very nice piece of turquoise was found. People picked it up and walked a few steps and then Drugpa Kunleg came round. They said to him, “Some old woman died there; please, pray for her.” He said, “Where is the turquoise?” They gave it to him that and he said, “The small turquoise goes in my quiver, the old lady goes into liberation.” Now at that time there was a Tibetan ruler whose son was very sick. They invited different great monks and rinpoches to do rituals, but whatever they did, they couldn’t help him. Then the ruler ordered Drugpa Kunleg to do an exorcism ritual, a destroying activity. When you do that, part of it is that you take a torma outside and throw it out in a certain direction. I did that a lot of times when I was young. Sometimes the tormas are bigger than human beings and three people will help you to pick it up, but somehow you have to carry it in a very nice way and throw it out properly. The torma is made in a big metal frame and when you go out, there is a huge fire and you throw it in there. You are not supposed to throw the metal, because when that goes in the fire they can’t take it out. At the same time you have to throw it in such a way that the torma goes in the right direction; if it keeps standing or falls back, it would be a very bad omen. You even have to practice beforehand, otherwise you can’t do it. So you throw the torma in the right direction and at the same time you throw the metal frame aside. Drugpa Kunleg did the ritual, because it was the king’s order and in the old times, if you did not obey, they would get you by force and beat you up. So he went there. At a certain point of the ritual he was carrying the torma out and going everywhere, but couldn’t dispose of it. He said, “I can’t find anywhere to throw it.” Then he brought it back into the house and finally he went into the bedroom of this ruler, whose son was very sick, and said, “Ah, here it is.” He threw the torma on the ruler and said, “There you go, this is the place I was looking for.” Of course, he was asked questions, but the son got better. Then they respected him and asked, “What was it?” He said, “I threw the torma at self-cherishing, you, the king, are self-cherishing, so I threw it at that.” So that is ‘where the blame is due’.

In short, all our sufferings come from self-cherishing. Why? Because we always want some kind of benefit. Hoping to benefit ourselves we kill other people, we insult other people, we develop the habit of not being generous. Because of seeking gain for ourselves, we indulge in all this and the ripened karmic results bring us sufferings. Our illnesses, fears and even the accusations against us, all are caused by self- cherishing. A simple example: self-cherishing makes you to be dissatisfied with what and how much you eat and that is why you get sick. We can’t give up our own benefit – whether it is food, clothes or our name. So when somebody did something to you somehow you cannot take it, you have to return the challenge. Whether it is between persons, between groups or between nations, all fighting is because of self- cherishing. The Bodhisattvacharyavatara says: Because of desiring to benefit yourself, O mind, All the weariness that you have gone through Over countless past eons Has only succeeded in achieving misery. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 8, vs. 155 Self-cherishing and self-grasping. So what makes us suffer from the limitless beginning is the self- cherishing. Normally self-cherishing and self-grasping are two separate things. (During this and during the lojong practice it is talked about as being the same. The reason for this is that when we begin to search within our minds, they more or less function on the same frequency.) Self-grasping thinks of me and I as something existing very solidly; self-cherishing is the one who can’t give up my interest. So they are serving each other, helping each other, accompanying each other, protecting each other and making me suffer in between.

In short, all faults have come because I wanted happiness. Until we will be able to destroy our self- cherishing, we will never, never be able to be happy. Until now we have not been able to recognize the

46 Lam Rim Teachings source of our sufferings. Now we have recognized the self-cherishing as the source of our problems, we should really see that as the ultimate enemy and try to give it our cold shoulder. In other words, what is our enemy? The enemy is the one who gives us problems, who constantly gives us trouble, who continuously harms us. When you look at that very carefully, you will see that the real enemy is the self-cherishing: from the beginning till now seeking benefit for me, me, me, now, now, now. And that attitude having priority over seeking to benefit others, has created all the trouble. If you want to recognize your enemy, you have to recognize it in this way. iii) Advantages of cherishing others The Bodhisattvacharyavatara has very clearly stated: Whatever joy there is in this world, All comes from desiring others to be happy. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 8, vs. 129 And the Lama Chöpa emphasizes in verse 58: Cherishing beings and securing their happiness Is the gateway that leads to infinite excellence. “Gateway to infinite excellence.” In Tibetan the word yönten is used here, which actually means quality. In other words, developing the quality of bringing happiness to all mother sentient beings is the gateway to development. Therefore in this point here we remember the kindness of everybody. Our happiness, our human life with its qualities of leisure and environment, the opportunity to practice dharma, is the result of seeking others’ benefit over that of ourselves. Not only that. Also all material benefits we have are due to cherishing others. Pabongka gives the analysis: When you cherish the life of other beings and you give up killing, you develop the virtue of not- killing and as a result you’re reborn in one of the higher realms and have a longer life. By cherishing others, by giving and by giving up taking what is not given to you, you develop wealth. These are the reasons to prove that cherishing others’ benefits over your own is the cause of all happiness, even of material happiness. From the point of view of karma, the cause of a long life is not killing and the cause of wealth is not stealing. The Bodhisattvacharyavatara says: What need is there to say much more? The childish work for their own benefit, The buddhas work for the benefit of others. Just look at the difference between them! Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 8, vs. 130 And the Lama Chöpa says (verse 59): In short, the naive work for their aims alone, While Buddhas work solely to benefit others. Comparing the faults against the benefits, Inspire me to be able to exchange myself for others. From the beginning Buddha and we were equal. Buddha was running in samsara and so was I. But Buddha somehow had the opportunity to start recognizing the benefits of holding others’ benefit over his self- benefit. Because of that he has been able to become a buddha. He has been able to finish all faults and to develop all qualities and he accomplished the purpose of self and of all others. And we? From the limitless beginning we have been cherishing ourselves all the time. We keep seeking pleasure for ourselves, all for me. But, at this moment I have not completed even a single point of my purpose. I did not even develop an immune system for not falling into the lower realms.

If you look into the Jatakas and Avadana, the stories about Buddha’s previous lives, you will find that many times Buddha has given his life for the benefit of others. A commonly known story is that Buddha gave his life to save the life of the tigress. Buddha has been able to do these sorts of things and we are unable to. That is the difference. Why do buddhas have the benefits and we don’t? I think it is because of

The Bodhimind: The Eleven Stages of Development 47 these sorts of things. Although we are unable to do that just now, we should pray to be able to do that. For us today it is even difficult to give an extra shirt or sweater or blanket to somebody. Buddhas and bodhisattvas cut their flesh to give it to somebody and they don’t hesitate as much as we do when we are giving a small vegetable out of our fridge. If we have to give a nice little piece of vegetable, we feel, “I actually wanted to make dinner for myself, but if you want it you may take it.” You hear, there is a pinch there. Buddhas and bodhisattvas are able to give without that pinch. That becomes possible when our mind develops that capacity. It is all mind.

How can we cherish others? By thinking: whatever we enjoy today is due to the kindness of other people. We enjoy food today and for that a lot of people work. If these people didn’t do the work, we would not be able to enjoy the food. It is the result of other people working hard. Not only that. Other people benefit me because they are like a field for me. Where there is a field I can grow food. And if I don’t have a field, I can’t grow food. If there are no other people I cannot meditate on suffering because I cannot recognize it enough only on myself. So I should be grateful to all other people just because they are there. Just because they are there I can work, I can develop. If they are not there what could I do? Nothing. Bodhisattvas are grateful to all sentient beings because they can generate the bodhimind [on other sentient beings] and they can exercise their bodhisattva activities because the field of sentient beings is there. Without a field, they could not practice at all, so they are grateful. With those reasons we can think of cherishing others’ benefit over our own benefit, of changing the priority of my well-being over others. If there were no mother sentient beings we couldn’t meditate compassion, we couldn’t meditate great compassion at all and it would not be able to grow within us. And if there is no possibility for great compassion to grow within us, the result of that, bodhimind, will not grow either. And without other beings we cannot practice the paramitas. We cannot develop generosity, because there is nobody to give to. We cannot have moral conduct, because there is nothing to be protected. We cannot practice patience, because nobody will irritate us. So we are grateful to the irritators. The Bodhi- sattvacharyavatara says: A buddha’s qualities are gained From the sentient beings and the Conquerors alike So why do I not respect them In the same way as I respect the Conquerors? Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 6, vs. 113 The development of my buddha stage depends on the kindness of the buddhas as well as non-buddhas. Buddhahood is equally due to the kindness of buddhas as well as of other beings. Pabongka says: To obtain buddhahood half is due to the kindness of your spiritual master, but the other half is the kindness of all other sentient beings. The great Langri Tangpa has said: I cherish all sentient beings more than wishfulfilling jewels, because that is where I get benefit. These are the reasons for cherishing others’ benefit over my own benefit.44 iv) Actual exchange of self and others, of you and me In the actual exchange I don’t believe we change anything. It is not that I become you and you become me and we become ‘no separation’ and blah blah blah. Not the romantic style. What is the actual exchange? The soft spot where I was putting myself earlier I put others in and I occupy the spot where I was putting the others. Do you get it? Because now I see what benefit there is in cherishing others and what disadvantages I had before, I am starting to see the problem. The problem is the wrong spot we’re having. In the Lama Chöpa it says in verse 59:

44 Follows a discussion on the distinction between self-cherishing and self-compassion. See Appendix: Questions and Answers.

48 Lam Rim Teachings Since cherishing myself is the doorway to all downfalls, And cherishing others is the foundation of everything good, Inspire me to practice from my heart The yoga of exchanging self and others. By seeing the disadvantages of self-cherishing and the qualities of cherishing others, we have to change what we give priority to. Our priority has to go exactly to the opposite direction. The reasons why we have to make that decision and change the priority, is because of the benefits that will bring and the suffering my old priorities brought me up till now. It is very simple. It is not that you have to think, “The others are me and I am the others” – no. It is not exchange of the persons, but exchange of the priorities. So make the decision and then train your mind in that direction. Slowly. First make the decision. Next time you’ll find you are doing the same old thing again. It does not matter, remind yourself, keep on making the decision and train your mind in that way. You may have to do it three thousand times and you may slip back three million times, it doesn’t matter. Keep on correcting it. And after some time, when your mind gets used to it, you will be doing it. Actually that is what the word meditation means. Tsongkhapa says, “Meditation means getting used to it.” You are training the mind in a certain direction and when the mind got used to it, you meditated – past tense. So meditating means: pushing your mind to get used to whatever it is. We talked about the bodhisattva and about changing the habit of hiding behind others when you are getting shot at into hiding others behind you. Not out of braveness, but just habitually doing it. That is possible if you meditate on it and change your habitual pattern. It is mind power. Let me give a very simple example. If you think “I have to go to hospital, they will give me an injection and I can’t bear that!” then the injection will be painful. If you think “Well, an injection is a tiny little needle, I am not going to die of it,” then there will be less pain. That is because of mind power. Similarly, bodhisattvas must be thinking, “Well, I have taken hundreds of different lives and in none of them I really gave my life for the benefit of other beings, so now it is a great pleasure for me to give it.” And then it is a pleasure for them. This is how the mind works. We describe meditation as something mysterious, but it is a mental relaxed stage. True. Normally we say that at the stage where you’re really developed, everything will become pure. We say, “All males will be Avalokiteshvara, all females will be Tara” and so on. That is not a hallucination, it becomes reality to that person, it materializes. That is what meditation is. That is why people say enlightenment is not a stage from here going over there, but it materializes here. v) The meditational practice of giving and taking45 In the fourth point we talked about changing places: where I am, I put the others and where the others are, I put myself. Now [to materialize that] we use tong-len, give and take. It is very simple. Tong is throwing away, giving away, letting go. Len is taking, take as much as they give, collecting. In this practice it is recommended to do as follows. During the meditation of len (taking), the idea is to bring in the compassion strongly and on that basis collect [the suffering]. And tong (giving) brings the idea of love and giving. So: give, take; give: love, take: compassion. The exercise of taking is to make your compassion stronger; the exercise of giving is to make your love stronger. So in this practice you bring together the meditative idea and the stage of compassion, and the meditative idea and the stage of love. To develop the bodhimind, it is strongly recommended when removing others’ suffering to let it stick onto me. It hits your self-cherishing. That is how you overcome self-cherishing. These are the important points that you have to deal with. The Lojong root text of Geshe Chekawa says, The tong and len is a practice done turn by turn and let them ride on the air. That means we breathe in [and take the sufferings] and we breathe out and let the giving ride on the outgoing breath. Here you try to make the earlier idea that self-cherishing is bad and cherishing others is good stronger, more powerful, more of a reality. That is what you use this for.

45 More details in chapter XXII.

The Bodhimind: The Eleven Stages of Development 49 For practical purposes it is recommended to do the taking first and the giving afterwards. Why should it be done like that? Give means giving what? Happiness. What do you take? Suffering. If you don’t take the suffering away, no matter how much happiness you give, it will be ‘French’ happiness; it won’t do any good. In order to make whatever you give to benefit that object, you have to remove the suffering first, therefore taking is done first.

Object and purpose. Removing the suffering is a very strong practice actually. When you really want to do this, and in the beginning you won’t give anything but keep on taking, that is okay. By taking the suffering you strongly bring in the great compassion. Remember, earlier we divided the compassion into two: object and purpose. The purpose is removing the suffering, freeing from the suffering. The object may be others or may be ourselves. So the purpose of compassion is freeing from suffering, which means taking the suffering away from others or yourself.

XXI THE BODHIMIND: THE ELEVEN STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

Introduction46 According to Atisha’s and Je Tsongkhapa’s practice, we in the Gelug tradition very much emphasize the pure practice of the basics. Before we get into more deep practices like vajrayana, we must study thoroughly from point to point: what blessings mean, what initiation means, what it means to take refuge and so on. This knowledge you can get only through the basic thorough studies, just as you did today. You did an overview of the Lamrim and I presume it was not just a recitation, but your own thinking and formulating. Gehlek Rimpoche asked several of you at random to speak out loudly how you meditate on the various outlines. That is very good, because one never knows who is next. So everybody has the chance or everybody is in danger; therefore one must be ready, always. And therefore one must study. Not only study but think on it. Mere listening and real understanding are two different things. Trijang Rinpoche said, “I read the Lamrim Chenmo of Tsongkhapa, more than one hundred times but every time I could really find many new understandings on it.” In our generation Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang was the main teacher of Lamrim and even he could find many new ideas. But of course, actually he did mean that we had to do like this; we should not understand it in the way that he still had to learn so much even at his old age.

Dharma practice. Knowing the dharma is not going to deliver enlightenment to you, so do not be satisfied with knowledge alone, but practice it. The essence of practice here is: the dharma should become one with the mind. In other words, our mental attitude should become totally influenced by the dharma. If we have that, we have the dharma way. There is no other way besides getting your mind engaged in and your attitude influenced by the dharma. That means: no separation between the dharma and your mind, which is called ‘practice’. Try to develop towards that as much as possible. I normally use the word ‘habitual patterns’ or ‘mental attitude’ here. Whether that is brought in accordance to the advice of Buddha or is going away from the advice of Buddha, is what the person has to be very much aware of. Awareness here means being aware of how your mind functions: is it functioning in accordance with the advice of Buddha or is it going the other way? When you see yourself form a habitual pattern of mental functioning in accordance with Buddha’s teaching, then you can probably say you are doing okay in the dharma practice. According to the general or the common understanding we say that if you meditate or recite something, say mantras or make offerings, these are dharma practices. In that sense there is more or less no way to do dharma practice in daily life, such as in the office or at school or in a shop or something like that. Of course, making offerings and so on are methods of dharma practice, but they are not the main thing. If I recite mantras or prayers the whole day, is that really dharma practice? That is a big question. If I recite something in combination with the wrong conception or the wrong attitude or motivation, then it is by no means dharma practice. Drom Rinpoche was going round to visit his colleagues that had been practicing and he found somebody offering a mandala. So Drom Rinpoche looked at him, “What are you doing?” “I am making man-

46 This chapter was taught by Dagyab Rinpoche. Literature: see chapters IXX and XX. Literature by Dagyab Rinpoche, Achtsamkeit und Versenkung, p. 261-281. 52 Lam Rim Teachings dala offerings.” “Well, that is very good, but I wish you could do a good dharma practice.” The next one he saw was reading and he said, “What are you doing?” “I am reading a dharma book.” “That is good, but I wish you could do a good dharma practice.” There were a number of those sort of incidents and finally he was asked, “What should dharma practice really mean?” “Dharma practice means: mix the dharma with your own mind.” That means, change your normal habitual patterns from the non-dharma way into the dharma way. And then you don’t have to put in efforts, because it will function automatically. When you try to make the change of mental attitude, in the beginning it is very hard, but still, if you keep on thinking on it, then after some time you will be able to look back and see what has been your motivation and what is going on now. In other words: you can improve it, you can develop it. If you keep on trying, one time, a second time, another time, then it becomes easy, it becomes part of you. That way you can form your habitual pattern. Motivation. Let me tell me a little bit about motivation. I will give my habit as an example. I always try to remind myself of “why I am doing this” before I meet someone or do something. Because of bad habits [from the past] there are many tendencies to do bad things and maybe hurt other people, and out of bad thoughts bad habitual thought patterns can develop. I very often use my mala and I am in the habit of carrying it. Then I just think, “Why do I put the mala in my hand? Do I want to show the other people that I am a religious person or is it just for my own benefit, my own practice?” Sometimes I think, “I meet some strangers and I must show myself as a religious person.” Then I think, “That is rubbish, that is the wrong way,” so I put the mala in my pocket. But if I have considered it, then it can be okay, because somehow it belongs to a religious practitioner. But in connection with a bad motivation you must avoid it. Sometimes I am talking rubbish things to other people, extremely respectful as if being very honest, but at the same time I could think, “Is it genuinely honest or very fabricated?” Sometimes, luckily, it was genuine, but very often it wasn’t. So I must try to change my way of dealing with other people. This example shows that our mental attitude is very unequal, very rough. We are – or rather I am – just like a servant to my mind. I am running always after my ego, after my wishes, after my demands. These demands are due to my ego, because I am not in the position to utilize my mind equally; it is not under control. My wishes, my demands, my ego, are always the winner; I am always the loser.

Pre-step to the Seven Stages of development of the bodhimind: equanimity In these wishes there are many attitudes, very rough and very smooth attitudes; sometimes extremely rough or smooth. If I meet someone, at first I automatically find that he or she is extremely nice, so attachment arises and we get along very well, without further reason. Of course, there is ignorance and so on, but there is no further reason. And sometimes if I meet someone, “Oh, I don’t want to have anything to do with these people,” so I have the tendency to be distant to them. And to some others there is no feeling. Generally speaking, with these three ways of thinking we spend our lives. On top of that we – I’d better say I – exaggerate very much. Through the exaggeration that mental attitude increases. I find that he or she is very nice and I start thinking too much of this person, so I increase the attachment and therefore I think now he or she is an extremely nice person, so I find it very difficult to separate from this person. If one sort of cares for somebody very strongly, one would be able to sacrifice oneself for the sake of the other person. Sometimes the attachment is so powerful that one would be willing to sacrifice oneself for the pleasure and harmony of the other being. With this mental attitude we cannot find peace. Without a peaceful state of mind there is no way to meditate on something or to think on some buddhadharma; there is no way to achieve bodhicitta and, of course, there is no way to achieve buddhahood. So the basic Buddhist practice is equanimity. Equanimity towards everybody, to all sentient beings. Sometimes it appears to be very difficult to achieve this position and sometimes we are talking like: “It is too much, it is beyond our comprehension.” It is difficult, of course, but it is not that difficult. The difficulty is, I find, that we really don’t want to do so. That is the trigger. If we agreed, if I agreed to do it really from my heart, then it is not that difficult. Putting the first step is difficult. Maybe that is more difficult than to really achieve equanimity. Be- cause you must give up certain things. You must take certain things onto you. Do you understand? We must be courageous to put the first step. This is very important. We must have a big heart. Forget about all the sentient beings at first. If we are sitting in a very comfortable apartment and just talk about all sentient beings or human beings, it is not effective, I think, because at that moment the sentient be-

The Bodhimind: The Eleven Stages of Development 53 ings or human beings are too wide a range. We must start on a small scale. There are lots of problems within a family, with neighbors, with colleagues and so on. If we don’t get on well with them, there is no way to achieve equanimity. Therefore equanimity is important and the very basic attitude of the bodhicitta.

How to practice equanimity. There are different ways of practicing equanimity. For example you imagine in front of you your friends or relatives, the neutral persons and the enemies. Three groups or even three persons. You deal with them one by one. First you start with the relative or friend, then the neutral person and then the enemy. Or you can start with the neutral person, then the friend and then the enemy – that is also a possibility. But sometimes you imagine all three persons or all three groups together and you just watch: what about your mental attitude? How do you feel towards this person? According to our tradition, the lamas, we emphasize the second method. That one is more effective. That means to imagine the three persons at once at your mind and watch your attitude: you can obviously see the different reactions. You see at once the one very close as very dear and so on, towards the neutral person you feel it makes no difference, but as soon as you see the enemy you don’t want to see him or her and you see him or her like a black shadow – generally speaking. If you would prefer to start with the enemy, you’re welcome. Sometimes you may need some dy- namic method, you have to get a shock treatment. That is also a good method, I think. But be careful, because many western people are not so strong. You westerners are very intelligent, but sensitive. We Tibet- ans, I can’t say we have no feelings, but our feelings are more lukewarm, I think. For example, if you see some good face you show very much appreciation, “Wow, that is great, that is wonderful.” If you feel bad things or if you get into problems, then you are just down. That is very unbalanced. Of course, we Tibetans don’t want to get into trouble and problems, but we really very seldom have depressions or mental problems. Therefore, if you can, you can use the dynamical method, but it can be too much for you. So, starting with the three together may be easier and safer. Now you have three persons as your object. Look at these three that you are watching in your mind. If you feel very close towards your friends or relatives, then you must search for the reason: Why do I feel so warm and close to this and that person? The first answer could be: because he or she is my relative, friend, schoolmate, good friend, we are living together, we get on together so well, etc. But that is not sufficient. You must think furthermore why. I don’t want to put the right answer into your mouth, but just to give you an idea, at the end your answer will be: because he or she was or is very kind to me, is concerned about me. Always every reason rises from yourself. You are the central point. The other persons are secondary. You are the central point: because of me…, then follows this and that. But that is not a reliable answer, because today you are thinking like this, but who knows whether you will think a hundred percent the same tomorrow, or next week, or next year? You can’t. Did you have the same attitude last month, last year or ten years go? Probably not. What you think at the moment is a momentary position. If you think about or watch the neutral persons, there is no feeling. Why? Because I don’t have a relationship with them. I have never seen him or her until now. I never had any relation with him or her, so therefore it makes them indifferent to me. This also starts from my side. And then you watch the enemy side. This is the strongest one, the most powerful one, giving the strongest feelings, negative feelings. You don’t want to see him or her any more and you wish that he or she gets into trouble. There are many, many reasons, to me, and for weeks and months one can talk about this position. These three attitudes make the biography of our lives. This is the basic pattern of our lives. The question is only: which one of these three is stronger? Do you understand what I mean? He or she is my enemy because he hurt me, because she hurt me. Or because he or she hurt my friends, because his or her reaction to me is so unacceptable, so unpleasant, I can’t accept it, therefore I find he or she is a very bad person. The real reason was or is: just because I can’t accept it, it doesn’t suit me. That is the main reason. Let me give an example. Generally speaking one marries for love, that means not arranged. In Tibet we had very much the arranged marriages, there was no choice and no chance to see each other before get-

54 Lam Rim Teachings ting married, no chance to fall in love and so on. But in the west one gets married for love. Many of us married at that moment, so we had the experience of love. Maybe some of you still have that experience: you don’t want to be separated from this person, day and night you want to be together, even to separate for one hour is difficult, such strong feelings you have. That is reality at that moment. So you write down all your feelings to her or him. After ten or twenty years many people get divorced. Then, when you read what you have written some time ago, you may find it absurd. Maybe you will say, “I have never written this, I never had such a feeling towards this person, because he or she is so…” There are many excuses, “He or she is always opposite to me. We couldn’t discuss even a single minute. We never had the same way of thinking, always different.” Was it really always a different way of thinking? No. At this moment, yes, but in the past no. So your dearest person becomes your worst enemy. It shifted from one position to the other. On the other hand, as far as you can see, all these reasons are reliable, are reality. Because there are discrepancies there are problems between you and me, that is true. But that is a different business. You can’t put it all together in one pot. So we must train for many months and many years in equanimity. It is not something that we can achieve in a few weeks. Without equanimity, without a smooth basis in your mind, there is no chance to build up further mental development. This is like polishing an old table. That old table has a black color and now you want to put beige on. You must rub off all black color, you must use sand-paper to make it smooth; it must be done without dust, without fat and not wet. There are many conditions; if you fulfill all these conditions then you can decide to polish it. But again, generally speaking, it is not possible to just put the color on. First you need to prepare the basis, there are special basic varnishes to be used and after that you can put on the color you want. So one needs a very smooth base. Our mind works likewise. If you are in a very unstable position, you can’t think about things because you’re not calm. I think all of you know the breathing meditation. The technique of the breathing meditation is to remove the roughness. You do a breathing meditation just to get your mind leveled, to smoothen your mind. It is necessary to have a smooth mind and as much as possible a stable mind. Then you can think about it, then you can judge your mind, whether it is right or not.

Meditation. Let us say something about the attitude in meditation. Sometimes you can meditate very clearly, sometimes you can’t meditate very clearly, sometimes you are nervous, sometimes you can’t think anything or sometimes you are not in a position to sit down for a while, not even for five minutes, because you feel so tired without reason. Of course, if you have been working or you drove the whole day, and if after that you sit down and meditate then logically it is not that easy. That is reasonable. But even without a reason, without having done a difficult job, you may feel so tired. Many conditions and difficulties can cause an uneven mind or mental attitude. It is often very useful to do a breathing meditation at that moment. When through the breathing meditation you find yourself much more at ease or relaxed, more flexible, then just start thinking or analyzing again. It is useful to do this meditation many times a day, but for a short time. The most important thing [of meditation] is continuity. If you do it one week very strongly, and then make a break for a week or a month, you can’t expect any results. Ten minutes a day at least you should sit down, think or meditate. I think ‘meditation’ is a bit too big a word for us, but just think on it. Whether you sit on a chair or just on the floor makes no difference. During these ten minutes you must mainly concentrate on the subject, on the point. Through the continuous thinking on the subject you will day by day, week by week, really achieve an effective result. You can feel it after some months. I am not saying that you would have achieved that real attitude then, but you can feel or taste what this equanimity is like. If you slightly feel this mental attitude, you get great enjoyment, because you obtained a great capacity in your mind. At the beginning there is not much room to fit in many people. Your friends, enemies and neutral persons are divided up too much. But after some time it does not make that big a difference, although you still see very clearly who is the enemy and who is the dear person. That is alright; you must accept that. After all we are in samsara, so we must cut it gradually. After some more time you may feel great enjoyment and feel very relaxed, you can adjust it to many other people and you can bear many circumstances. That means you really start to get into the equanimity atmosphere. Go according to the saying: strike the iron when it is hot.

The Bodhimind: The Eleven Stages of Development 55 If you find some right channel, you must stay on it, you must do it in continuity. So if you interrupt this continuity, you will lose your way and then you must start again right from the beginning, like when you switch off the channel of the radio and you must find it again; that is not very easy. Once you have obtained this more or less, good enough, you have to start the next stage. Equanimity and emptiness. With your mind you achieve equanimity, but in which way? If you do it the wrong way, it is very bad, then it becomes indifference, “Everybody is unreliable, I can believe nobody, everybody is equally wrong.” That is also a possibility, so if you think like this, then there is no chance to develop bodhicitta. The question rises: when would you say you have the equanimity we talked about? When looking at the sentient beings, normally we label them: this is an enemy, this is a friend and this and that. We label them because of some reason we have. But if you look from the point of view of the person, from his or her nature, the person did not establish him- or herself as such, neither as enemy nor as friend. It is only we who label them, because of various reasons. When we can see that clearly, when we can see that we label them because of certain reasons of our own, but that by nature of the being itself there is no real existing way of being an enemy or a friend, when we clearly get that most of the time, maybe we can say we begin to establish equanimity. I always try to put it in contact with the emptiness. The way I explained it now is slightly connected with emptiness. I think we can say that. So somehow at the same time you practice the emptiness.

The Seven Stages of development of the Bodhimind The Seven Stages of development of the Bodhimind [Skt. bodhicitta] are the so-called six causes of bodhicitta plus the bodhicitta itself. They came from Buddha through Maitreya, Asanga and other well-known Indian pandits and further through Lama Serlingpa, the main teacher of Atisha, and via Atisha through Je Tsongkhapa through his lineage up till now. Bodhicitta. Sometimes I feel bodhicitta is just a very big term. We say ‘dharma’ and ‘bodhicitta’ and ‘buddha’ and so many things and it is very much separate from my heart. You must be very careful not to get involved in this position. If you feel that these things are very distant from yourself, then something is wrong. Bodhicitta is, I think, your own good mental attitude, very much developed. Everybody has a good nature. The question is only the percentage. Do you understand? Somebody has a ninety percent, an eighty percent or a seventy percent good nature, a very warm heart. Somebody may have just one or two percent, but still he or she has some good nature, some warm heart. This is the base on which you develop the bodhimind. This is the seed which will become the bodhimind. This is the mind that will further develop and become bodhimind. On top of that we must put many factors. We must nurture this good kind heart by practicing, by meditating, by doing things and then gradually it develops. Is it clear to you? So, the kindness that everybody has in one way or another, the two percent or ninety percent or whatever it is, that very kindness within the individual is the seed that becomes the bodhimind, which you develop by practicing, by nurtur- ing it. By that it becomes better and better, kinder and kinder until finally it becomes bodhimind. That kindness you have even before you have equanimity. Everybody has kindness in their hearts. That very one is the seed which you develop further. I hope this is clear.

Stage 1: Recognition of all beings as mother-beings or ultimate friend Now we come to the first cause, the so-called recognition of sentient beings as mother-beings. Of course, the Buddhist way of thinking is based on the Asian mentality and in there the emphasis on your mother is very strong. On the one hand that emphasis is a big question and on the other hand biologically seen the mother is very important for all beings that have been born from a womb. I know many western people have problems with their mothers, many adults don’t want to see their mothers any more. So if I try to say to such a person, “Oh you have to think that everybody, every sentient being, is like your mother,” I get the reply, “This is the worst.” For such a person of course one must have a different method. Generally speaking, the mother is the nearest person; we are all born from a mother. And, I think, the most real relationship is between child and mother, between children and parents. Before I had children I

56 Lam Rim Teachings couldn’t imagine how I could develop such a relationship to my children, because up to then I could imagine it through the explanation of other people, but I couldn’t feel it. As soon as you get a child you automatically feel it; you automatically feel how you think of your little baby, how your attitude is when she is crying. For example, if you are in the sitting room talking with friends and the baby is in the other room, you are the first person to know that he or she is crying. The others say, “How can you hear that, you have a tremendous ear.” But that is not true; you do it instinctively. Somehow your feelings towards the child are so strong that you can feel all activities in that corner. The parents pay tremendous attention to their children. But the baby can’t think about all this, can’t feel it at that moment. Only after years, being grown up, you can judge it. I can’t say what I felt when I was one month old, but I can say that my mother paid such attention. I know how kind she was to me. If she had not been there could I have lived? How much I was dependent on my mother. All this you must make clear through reasons and examples. Look at the birds. The mothers and the fathers catch worms and put them into the mouths of the small birds. If the parents would not bring the food, what would happen? This is absolutely clear. Small birds totally depend on their parents. Not only the birds, but all of us. You can’t remember your mother’s kindness and all the efforts she put in. But that doesn’t mean that your mother wasn’t kind and so on, it doesn’t mean that. Therefore you must try to imagine the total attitude between mothers and children. If you don’t feel like starting with your own mother, you can think about the general position. We can see many nice animal relationships between children and their parents. And you can watch other persons. Through this exercise I think you can find a certain picture about the relationship between mother and child. Recognition of all sentient beings as mother beings is one of the most difficult subjects to realize, the most difficult step to obtain. We are so used to keeping distance to people and most of the sentient beings are neutral beings for us; our group of friends is very limited. Maybe this is one of the reasons why it is so difficult to get into our mind to accept all sentient beings as our mother. How to establish all beings have been our mother. How is the technique? How should you think of all sentient beings as your mother? Of course, first of all we must understand or accept the many different lives beings have. If you don’t accept that, then it is very difficult to start with this subject, for this method implies that there are previous lives. Because of my limited knowledge I cannot really explain this according to the pramana, the logic. But I think the idea of different lives is based on the continuation of our most subtle consciousness [or mind]. Between the last existence and this existence there has been a great change for us. Therefore, generally speaking, one cannot remember it clearly. I’ll give a simple example. Between yesterday and today there has been an interruption, simply through the sleep. Today we can’t remember exactly what we did yesterday. Of course we remember many things, but we can’t remember everything as clearly as yesterday. One factor why we can’t remember it that clearly, is because of the interruption through the deep sleep. Seen over a ten-year period, day by day and year by year, there are many things you can’t remember. But we can’t really say that things didn’t happen to us ten years before. All these happenings are, so to say, based on the subtle consciousness. So, what are we going to say is: what does time mean? By time I understand many things: one hour, one month. Just roughly said it is a period. Time can mean one life and of course you can extend the time to many lives. If we say time is one year, it doesn’t matter whether there are twelve months or thirteen months; we understand it as one period. For us it is clear that we had a mother and a father and all our surroundings. But how clear is it for us? Can we really remember our birth? No way. We believe it happened because of the words of our mother, father, parents or relatives. I can’t proof by myself that I was really born from this mother, therefore I must rely on what they say. (Unfortunately my explanation is not that clear, but I am trying to put everything together from the various points, I hope that will be alright for you.) Our body-mind is the basis of our existence. It is not possible that our mind has come into existence through a body or external things. Our mind must have the same quality as a cause. The mind I have today is a continuation of yesterday’s mind, so yesterday’s mind somehow is related to the mind I have today. We can extend that to last year, to ten years ago, up to the time of the real birth. From there the mind of my last existence had to get into this existence’s mind; it must join.

The Bodhimind: The Eleven Stages of Development 57 Our body exists through our parents, that is quite clear, no need to say. Mind cannot be shared by the parents, so it must have some particular cause, which means it is our previous mind. So we have a common mind of this existence and last existence and the existence before that and so on. So we have one mind, which is connected to all these existences or the many time periods. I have a mother in this existence and I also had a mother in the last existence and I had another mother before that and therefore automatically many, many mothers come together. And my previous existence is not limited. There are many, many kinds of existences, so there must have been many mothers. For example, I have been born a dog, not only once but many times, in the west, in the east, everywhere. If I think thoroughly, I can get the feeling that my existence is beginningless. If my existence is or was beginningless, it must have had countless mothers. Each mother was, generally speaking, equally kind to me.

I think this will be enough just to give you a rough idea of how to think. If you have some problems with your mother, it is not necessary at the beginning to start with your mother. Maybe you could start with your father, your brothers or sisters or even some other kind of relatives or friends. The main thing is that you have a person who was dearest to you. But whether you get on well with your mother or not, the mother is mentioned as the very closest person to each one of us.

Stage 2: Remembering their kindness After that you have to think about the kindness of your mother or your friends. Although in the west people are very independent and live on their own from a young age, if you think carefully, you’ll find: How kind my parents were to me when I was very small; when I was a baby, how dependent I was on my parents. Now I can survive, I can do everything by myself without help from my parents, but at the time when I was very small, I was not like this. This situation is something I shouldn’t forget. If I do so, I am not a good human being. I try to be kind to my children or to my friend, but after some time they will hurt me. At that time, will I think they are good human beings? What will my attitude be? Sometimes it is also useful on this point to think: Now I can speak, I can read, I can compose and do many things. Of course I learned things from my teachers and so on, but the basic knowledge I got from my mother. When I was a very humble baby my mother taught me how to eat, how to walk. The parents could see very clearly how children were demanding, but the parents voluntarily gave up their leisure time. I could not recognize it at that time. Now I can see that my mother spent so much time and effort on me. So in the end, I can’t find anybody more kind than my mother. Like said in the Lamrim I think it is very useful after meditating on such a point to try to make a resolution: Now I can understand and now I can recognize all sentient beings as my mother. This attitude I will try to keep my whole life. On top of that you may pray in terms of: From the body of the Supreme Field of Merit, who is inseparable from the Buddha and the Lama, light and liquid falls, goes through my body and purifies all non-virtues that I have committed from the limitless beginning. And particularly any obstacles to developing these particular points are cleared. After clearing a special kind of basis is laid on which I can develop the proper recognition or realization of this important point. The foundation for developing this particular realization has been laid. Please, in particular don’t forget this point. At this moment I connected all sentient beings only with the mother, but later on you must add certain things. So it becomes slightly different later on47.

47 See point 3 of the eleven stages of development of the bodhimind, p. 63.

58 Lam Rim Teachings Stage 3: Repaying their kindness Now I can recognize all sentient beings as my mother. I can recall or accept that all who have been my mother are very kind. But just accepting is not enough, is too passive. You must do something. You must repay them, or at least try to repay them. There are many possibilities to repay them, but the number of beings is countless and I am only one. How can I repay all these beings? That is not possible. And what does repaying mean? Should I give them many material things, should I support them financially, or what? Financial support is a very secondary thing; it can only help for the moment. If you could support them from the basis then it would be real support. Sentient beings need real freedom, absolute happiness and fulfillment of their wishes. That is their desire, that is what they need. Through material help we can’t give a support according to their wishes, because the main problem is not financial or material, but a mental or internal problem; the main problem is the pains of the mind. That means: sentient beings are suffering under the compelling force of passions. Among people there are those who usually think they are happy. This opinion of being happy is just a temporary thing, it doesn’t last. All these seemingly happy situations in reality form causes for later sufferings. What we as sentient or as human beings need, is to become liberated from the three types of suffering.48 All our experiences are based on our mental attitudes. Repaying their kindness has to start with little things. For example, small acts of friendliness towards others are the first steps with which we start to repay their kindness. Through my friendly reactions I can give to or awake in others the feeling of joy, of being happy. If we would extend that way of dealing with people to two people, ten people, a hundred or a million people even, then their feelings of hatred or anger would be strongly reduced and they would become more friendly and happy. So the more defilements we can reduce in others, the more this repaying of the kindness takes place and the more the attitude becomes stronger in ourselves. The Lamrim is a system that helps an individual to find their way towards buddhahood. I think this also has to be extended, to be transferred to a hundred people, to a thousand people, to all beings, in order to bring them all to enlightenment. If I would take it to be only for myself and if I see that all others are of infinite number, then it seems hardly possible that I can repay all their kindness, because I am only one and they are so many. By this way of thinking we broaden our view and with this also we gain more range, we gain the capacity of including more than just one, so we extend our way of action. Two questions could come up. In how far can I really repay the kindness of others? In how far do the others really receive something good? I hope because of my previous explanation that these two questions got answered. To specify the questions: I can sit, practice and meditate for a long time and I can enlarge my capacity, but the question is in how far my lifelong meditation can really benefit others. When I meditate I can benefit myself, but can I really benefit others through my own activities? Many people say, “Buddhism is very passive. You are sitting in a room and you just talk about bodhicitta and meditate, but you can’t reach the sentient beings, because the range of all sentient beings is very wide.” That is quite true, but it is not that passive. Through my own efforts I can reach so much. I can reach the boundless wish to repay all sentient beings. I already had equanimity and I recognize all sentient beings as my mother. That is already a great deal. Furthermore, mainly through collective activities (that means through many people) the wishes of all sentient beings can get fulfilled. If I take a beginner as example, then with this intention one cannot do very much. But as an advanced being like a bodhisattva, through their own inner force, mental force etc., one can support many sentient beings, which a beginner cannot do. If we, as ordinary beings, often think that Buddhism is a passive thing, then this is our own viewpoint on a certain level. With the level on which we are, we cannot measure the level of the bodhisattva, so on our level maybe it seems that it is a passive thing. But on a higher level, where the bodhisattva is, maybe it even seems passive, but there is the possibility to be active. To have such a real deep understanding, you must know better about the qualities of the bodhicitta and of the bodhisattvas. Of course, explaining all these qualities is not enough: one must understand how they could function. Buddhism is very much based on the mental development and very much on the inner atmosphere, so

48 Suffering of suffering; suffering of change; all-pervasive suffering.

The Bodhimind: The Eleven Stages of Development 59 therefore it is quite difficult to make it understand. As long as we are not really able to comprehend what that means, we can easily misunderstand what Buddhism is. On this point one can meditate like before.

Stage 4: [Affectionate] Love Through the past three points one can achieve the fourth point more or less automatically: love to all sentient beings. I don’t think it is necessary to have a special training to obtain this point. The attitude of love is just like your feelings towards your very dear daughter or son. The parents of course always wish that the child has the best. This does not have to be done intentionally, it comes automatically. It is always there, when the child is eating or at any other time; it is always there, day and night. It is a realization of effortless action. Rinpoche certainly told already that if you are meditating on Lamrim, you go over the whole topic, take the whole sequence as an overview, then you face one particular topic and deepen that in a more con- templative way. It is extremely important that one stays as long on one topic until one has got this realization, a kind of effortless realization. If you only do the overview meditation, then you know a little bit of everything, but you don’t get a deep experience of the topic. Lamrim has a certain order, but this does not mean that the experience can only come in that sequence. One can start Lamrim at any point, because every topic in Lamrim is connected with any other point of the Lamrim. I think that particularly in the west it is important that we adjust to the individual’s own feelings. Often people have a kind of aversion towards meditating on the different realms and also the student-teacher relationship is difficult to take. So it is important to have the overview over the topics and then go into one of the subjects deeply.

Stage 5: Compassion Compassion and even more the great compassion is very important for the development of bodhicitta. In one of the Madhyamika texts, the Madhyamakavatara, Guide to the Middle Way,, instead of making a praise to the Buddha, Chandrakirti makes a praise to the great compassion. Great compassion is like a seed at the beginning, in the middle stage it is like fertilizer and water and at the end like a ripened fruit.49 Great compassion helps us to generate bodhicitta, therefore great compassion is like a seed. When one has achieved the bodhicitta, one starts to engage in the bodhisattva’s activities. At that point great compassion is likened to fertilizer, the sun and so on, because it helps to grow and develop these activities. And at the end? One says that Buddha was so good, did countless activities helping others, gave teachings and so on; this was only possible through the force of the great compassion. How do we generate great compassion? That is a big topic. Generating compassion towards someone who is very obviously suffering, like an animal that is going to be slaughtered, is not so difficult; that is quite easy to achieve. The greatest compassion that can be generated is feeling compassion towards all sentient beings because they have to go again and again in the circle of samsara. This type of compassion, feeling towards that fact, is the greatest and the best kind of compassion. A full understanding of others going round and round in cyclic existence I can only gain if I have a proper example by which I can really comprehend it. And that example is me. So I have to really comprehend on myself what suffering existence is like and what it means. Based on that I can generate a thorough comprehension of what it means for others. If we haven’t got the experience of what it means to be caught up in samsara, then there is no way in which we can generate the wish and the idea and comprehension of what it means for others. Therefore being fed up with samsara and cultivating the determination to be free is the one side of the coin and in relation to all other sentient beings this brings about the compassion. So, what we generate for ourselves, that we are fed up with samsara, in terms of the other sentient beings that is compassion. There- fore we first have to look and think about ourselves how I was born in samsara, how I live and how I see my future. Through the understanding of the twelve links of dependent origination50 one gets very, very clear how this cyclic existence works. We can clearly understand that when things just continue the same way,

49 Chandrakirti, Guide to the Middle Way, vs. 2. For the root text, see Appendix. 50 See chapter XVI in volume III.

60 Lam Rim Teachings there will never be any end, it always goes round and round. Therefore I must see that I get out of this samsara! This attitude is the feeling of being fed up with samsara, the determination to be free. And like we generate the wish to be free from samsaric existence for ourselves, in the same way when we see all sentient beings, we generate this feeling of compassion which wants them to be free. What is the difference between love and compassion? For compassion one wishes the other to be free from suffering. For love one wishes the other to attain happiness and never to be separated from happiness.

Stage 6: The special mind Compared to our ordinary intentions compassion is quite strong, but still for generating bodhicitta it is not enough. Because when right now we generate the wish that all sentient beings might be free from suffering and have every happiness, it is quite a passive attitude. It has to change into the strong active attitude of, “I am going to help them out of the suffering and I am going to give them happiness. It is my task to liberate all sentient beings out of cyclic existence, I want to do it!” When this intention is generated and sustained in an effortless manner, when that wish “I will help all sentient beings” is always there, then we have generated what is called the great compassion and the special mind.

Stage 7: Bodhimind So through this intention one attains the enlightened mind of bodhicitta.

The Exchange Method of development of the bodhimind This is the method of Shantideva. This tradition was called the secret teaching of the Kadam tradition. Un- til quite late the Seven Stages of development was the usual way taught by the Kadam tradition and the Exchange of oneself with others was given secretly, in private teachings, because that method is a very effective one in order to tame one’s own ego. It can be said that the Seven stages of development is used as a basic training in order to develop bodhicitta. The Exchange practice is a very focused kind of practice, pointing somehow sharply to the thing. It is not approaching the subject by going around it, but kind of straightaway going into the actual method. Stage 1: Equalizing oneself and others This practice is to gain a balanced attitude towards oneself and others, balanced in the sense of having equal rights: I want to be happy and free of suffering and all other sentient beings want exactly the same. Nobody wants to experience suffering and everybody wants to attain happiness. From that point of view we are in the same position.51 In order to deepen this point of practice one goes to the next step. Stage 2: Disadvantages of self-cherishing This point, the faults of self-cherishing, is about seeing the mistakes of having an attitude that is too egoistic. If you look in a superficial way, we seem to be quite content, but if we look deeper, we see there are still problems. For that we don’t need to look at far-distant things like samsara or whatever, but right at the moment in our nearest presence there are problems to be found. There is nobody who doesn’t love himself. Everybody is after a good situation for himself and tries to get it by any means. For example, to earn money you start a business. Through that you start to act as a business person. You put yourself in the centre and ignore the others in the sense that one tries to get all advantages or benefits for oneself. Whatever we do, eating and drinking, dressing nicely etc., we do with the intention of getting some kind of happiness. At this point it is important to look at our own situation again and again and check our own attitudes. Do not generalize things, but look at the single, particular things. If we look closely, then it is easy to recognize that whatever we do is motivated by the idea of, “I want this and this and that.” It is always putting ourselves in the center. If we always put ourselves first, then even in general society it doesn’t make a good impression. If we live together with some friends and one of them always talks about himself, “I

51 Also see page 43.

The Bodhimind: The Eleven Stages of Development 61 want to do that, I like this, I did that, what about me” and so on, we get tired of him or her and there is no real communication possible, it remains a one-way thing. Stage 3: Advantages of cherishing others There is not any fault to be seen in cherishing others. First of all: you yourself are in the minority and the others are in the majority. Neglecting the happiness of others just to gain the good things for oneself, is not the right attitude. For example, if in the election of a president, the candidate in his speech says, “Well, I want to live in the White House in order to have a good life there” then probably nobody would give him a vote. Saying, “I want to serve the citizens of the USA”, probably gives him more chance. It is even exactly the other way round: if we want to get happy ourselves, we have to cherish others, because if we would be a proud person ignoring others, we would not be liked. All the great teachers in the range of Buddhism just became famous and well-known because of cherishing others. To feel good oneself is only possible because of the support from others. A small example. I want to live in a nice apartment. Well, I can buy a nice house with my own money, as people say. So I say, “I built this house with my own money”, but actually the house has been built with the help of others, of the work- ers and the constructors; they are the ones who really built the house. I can go even further and say, “Well, I want to stay independent, I will build the house completely by myself.” But even then I need the materials, the bricks and so forth, and these cannot be fabricated by myself. Therefore, I am compelled to be dependent on others. Only due to the kindness of other beings can I get a house. Right now I want to give dharma teachings, but without listeners I can’t give dharma teachings, for that I am totally dependent on you. I came here to give dharma teachings but to do that I had to fly, I had all these transports, so I had to rely on others. So, seeing it that way, even this last hour of the teachings depends on many, many factors. Famous painters like Van Gogh or Picasso are not famous out of themselves, they need to be praised by others who say how beautiful their pictures are. So because of others they became more and more famous. The same is true for popstars or whatever, all became renown and famous because of the appreciation of other beings. Nelson Mandela became famous because of the many people in South Africa he was working for, so without them he never could have become known here. On the one hand of course he wouldn’t have needed to go to jail, but on the other hand he wouldn’t have become famous. In that sense mundane and spiritual people become known and famous because of others. Or as the old masters say, “If there wouldn’t be other beings, we wouldn’t even have clothes to wear.” The wool has to come from the animals. It has to be cut, spun and woven, and then designers are needed to make the nice designs for the shirts or whatever. So, only by the kindness of others can we have nice clothes and jewelry and so on. These are more or less outer examples. I should give some inner examples, too. If I deal with somebody in a more wrathful or unfriendly manner, then what do I get as a reaction? And if I meet an angry person and encounter that person with a very calm appearance from my side, what kind of reaction will come? Maybe this opponent will continue to shout and scream for a couple of minutes and maybe he hits me once or twice, but then he will stop, because it is a one-sided action. But if I react in a negative manner, also get angry or so, then it will become a disaster. He would not only hit once or twice, but I would be in trouble. This of course is quite a difficult practice, but practice makes perfect. In the Bodhisattvacharyavatara Shantideva gave a number of examples of the advantages of bearing something in the sense we just talked about and the disadvantages of retaliating with hatred.52 Stage 4: Actual exchange of self and others The main point here it to give all the benefits to the others and take all blames and faults on yourself, but of course that is quite difficult for us. Especially for the westerners, because westerners have to discuss very often, which is due to their mentality. We can’t say that you have to and maybe it is not necessary to take all blame on yourself. And also it is dangerous if you do so too much. To bear things means in theory to swallow things down. You can bear things up to a certain degree, but you can’t bear the boundless. This means, you can discuss with the other

52 Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, ch. 6.

62 Lam Rim Teachings party very nicely and very clearly and it is not necessary to shout immediately. I think you first try to bear it for as long as the other party has calmed down a little bit. Then you can start to discuss with him or her, otherwise there is no chance to discuss, because he or she is not in the position to discuss with you. When someone is very angry you have no choice but to wait. After some minutes, some hours or maybe even some days you can come back and start to discuss it, clearly but nicely. I think this is something we can do. What we have to avoid is sharp words. This is very important, because through sharp words you hurt the other person and the whole thing starts again. So I think this will somehow be an in- between method, an in-between resolution. And sometimes it is also very useful to sit down for a while and just remind yourself of a previous experience which was not so nice. Then you meditate, “At that time he or she was not very nice to me and I reacted in this and that way, was that right or wrong?” Ordinarily we all try to judge everything, but our judgments are not always right, because due to our egoism we pull things more or less to our own side. Even one single incident, when told by different people, shows differences because it is told from different perspectives. If you look carefully you will see that each one has told it in a way that is to his own advantage. Therefore, as I said already, one should reflect on former experiences, but one should not judge. Advantages of cherishing others and disadvantages of cherishing oneself are almost coming together and these considerations should be one of the most important things in our daily life. Wherever we are and whatever we do is always connected with a kind of motivation. It is good to look a little bit into the motivation we have now and then, “Why do I think like that, what do I want to achieve by this?” With me that works, I like this playing around with my motivational thoughts and usually I find that I wanted something good out of it for myself. When I see that I am playing these games in order to gain something from it, then of course I feel very ashamed of it. Because on the one side I am looked at as a reincarnation of a previous lama and on top of that I listened to the buddhadharma teachings from well-known lamas. But still, if I look very carefully into my behavior, my motivation, my own situation is rather miserable; there is nothing I can do but be ashamed. On the other hand I am really happy with this feeling of being ashamed about it, because that gives me the basis for change. If I would not recognize my own faults, then I would simply become a hypocrite, looking very holy, and with that I would block my development. Naturally for a person like me to be proud and play the holy man would be an easy thing, because I possess some factors to do so. “To become a lama is easy, but to be one is difficult,” is the saying. In eastern Tibet there were a lama and a very important disciple of his. When the lama was talking about the benefits of nirvana the disciple used to say, “Not only the lama but even I feel that I am somebody and I am going in the right direction.” And when the lama started talking about the problems of samsara, the disciple would say, “Leave aside me, I wonder what about himself.” So, this egocentric thinking and acting gets sometimes extended in the way of not only me, but my family or even my tribe or my community, my monastery or my country. Still it is egocentric, although in an extended way. Quite often I talk about the egotism of the different Buddhist traditions, Buddhist schools or Buddhist centers. Since some decades Buddhism has been established in the west and quite a number of Buddhist centers have come up. Sometimes quite some competition is taking place between the different centers. That is quite pitiful to see, because such a competition is not focused on the dharma, it is focused on the possessors of these centers or on the people themselves. It is done because of the reputation that each centre wants to have for itself, or because of the kind of business that is involved in it. All those kind of things should be renounced. I work in close contact with one particular centre and have also dealt with other centers, so I have some insight in these things. I always tell the people that we should not get into these competitional things, and I work such a way, too. Of course, we do need a certain number of participants and we need finances and we also need lamas, so we must have some reputational things, but we always have to check and watch ourselves that we don’t go one-sided into it, that is very important. One should check that individually, but also in the communal sense: seeing what the whole group does and also seeing what the individual does. I think that as long as you work with a qualified teacher then that should be enough so far, but if you start to do something on your own then you have to watch it much more.

The Bodhimind: The Eleven Stages of Development 63 Coming back to the practice of exchanging oneself for others. We are in the position that we can comprehend and understand the situation of sentient beings. Seeing all of them as equal is also clear. The advantages and disadvantages of cherishing self and others is also clear to us. But this point here might be clear for myself, but for many other sentient beings it is not clear. That is a cause for me to generate compassion. That is the motivation I have to deepen. Stage 5: Give and take In connection with this compassion I want to take all the sufferings of the sentient beings on myself. I can’t bear that all beings still suffer in that way, and I want the other sentient beings to have more well-being. Therefore I devote all my energy and all virtues I have collected to others, for their well-being. Now there are many meditative techniques of how you can give the energies and virtues to sentient beings and how you can accept all the sorrows and sufferings from the sentient beings. At the beginning I don’t think that one can start to use such meditative techniques. One speaks also of a combination with breathing; maybe some of you know already.

The Eleven Stages of development of the bodhimind Now I will try to combine the two methods. The first method has seven points. The second method has five points. Anyway, the start is like in the seven-point method. 1) Equanimity 2) Recognition of all beings as mother-beings 3) Remembering the kindness of the mothers and remembering their special kindness There is one additional point here. Don’t just remember the kindness of your mother, but remember the kindness of all sentient beings, which I talked about. We should know that we can live only through the kindness of others. Surviving means relying on others. So, to make it more explicit: not only the beings who have been my own mother have been very kind to me, but all other sentient beings too. Or: beings have been kind to me when they were my mother and in the periods when they were not my mother they were kind to me too. That makes two points: to remember their kindness and to remember their special kindness. 4) Repaying the kindness After this point the combination with the second method starts. 5) Equalizing of oneself with all others 6) Seeing the disadvantages of self-cherishing 7) Seeing the advantages or benefit of cherishing other people Seeing their interest over our self-interest from the different points. 8) Exchange of self and others 9a)-9b) Give-and-take technique Compassion and love are in that. 10) Special mind After compassion and love, after that and only then comes the extraordinary attitude. After the meditation of giving and taking one should take a review. And if one makes this review then one realizes, “I cannot take all these sufferings from all mother-sentient beings on me and I can’t give all virtues to all sentient beings. We are more or less in the same position.” Why are you in the same position? Because your attitude was not strong enough. So you must put more gas and you must generate the extraordinary thinking or the special mind. Through the special mind you can achieve the bodhicitta. 11) Bodhicitta

64 Lam Rim Teachings The enlightened mind of bodhicitta consists of or is based on the attitude or wish to gain enlightenment in order to help all other sentient beings. In other words, it is a thought with two intentions: striving to help all others and striving to attain buddhahood. It is a very short explanation, but I think that is enough. As soon as you obtain the bodhicitta, you will start the real bodhisattva activities. Of course, right now we must try to practice, but we cannot do what the person with bodhicitta usually does. Advantages of bodhicitta. What kind of advantages are there when one has achieved bodhicitta, the bodhimind?? There are twenty-two different explanations of different types of bodhicitta, [given in similes]. And through explaining these twenty-two one gets a better comprehension of what bodhicitta is like.53 To explain it in a very compact way: if you have attained bodhicitta then you get a vast capacity and your understanding of and communication with others will be enhanced in a thousand-fold way. Our own egoistic way of doing may be reduced thousand-fold. That what we as ordinary beings cherish, the bodhisattvas don’t. When we are in India and we see so many beggars around, we don’t have the affection to really want to satisfy each and every one of them. We will not be very happy to see so many beggars at once. But to a bodhisattva, even just hearing about beggars gives a great amount of joy because he or she can practice the perfection of giving on them. If a bodhisattva can give his entire possessions, whatever he owns, then out of that he gets almost limitless joy. These examples show how a bodhisattva can generate joy. So you can imagine there are many, many ways in which a bodhisattva can support others and can receive joy. The more the bodhisattvas have a kind of inner openness, the more they collect these virtuous activities. Among the bodhisattvas there are different speeds of how they develop. It depends on their own strength of love and compassion; if they have more love and compassion then it speeds them up more. One can say that the bodhisattvas are very important, they are even [said to be] more important than the buddhas, because a buddha is dependent on the bodhisattva, as that is the previous development stage for becoming a buddha. For us it is of course not easy at all to gain a picture of what a bodhisattva is like, but as I said before, we gain a slight idea of it, when we start with the small things. That means: when we meditate a few months just on the first point of equalizing and we gain some experience on that and it starts to open up a little, then we can get a slight idea about what a bodhisattva is like. Even simpler. When you observe how it is if one is a good person, how it is if one is a bad person, it will show us that if one is a good person, then not only will oneself be much better off, but even the people surrounding oneself, also show good reactions and everything will become more perfect. This is what we understand about a good person or a bad person, and that is only measured with our measurements. We try to speak about a bodhisattva, but we can’t comprehend a bodhisattva position; that is so wide. Our own discrimination between good and bad goes according to our comprehension, but what a bodhisattva considers as good is far, far above what our limit is of these ideas. That is all.

53 For the listing, see the Glossary (volume I). For a commentary: Geshe Thubten Loden, Path to Enlightenment, p. 512-521.

Geshe Chekawa

XXII THE BODHIMIND: THE LOJONG TRAINING OF DEVELOPMENT54

Introduction In the ‘Exchange method for developing the bodhimind’55, the fifth point is tong-len: give and take. It is a very practical way of training one’s mind. The taking is the training to develop compassion and with the exercise of giving you develop love. Sometimes this practice is referred to as lojong56. Late Kyabje Gomo Rinpoche57 worked out a short form of meditating on the lojong seven point mind training [of Geshe Chekawa], which I would like to combine with our on-going Lamrim teachings. I do not know why Rinpoche gave me this book before he died. I didn’t even ask for anything on it. He not only gave me the book, signed it and said, “Keep it in your daily prayer book.”

THE ROOT VERSES OF THE SEVEN POINT MIND TRAINING58 by Geshe Chekawa (1102-1176) Homage to Great Compassion. The reason why it says, “I bow down to the Great Compassion” rather than “I bow down to Buddha,” is because great compassion is so important: important in the beginning, important during the actual practice, important even after becoming a buddha, as I explained before.59 These instructions are the essence of the nectar. Why is it called nectar? It is said to be nectar because it builds up the strength of the individual and overpowers his illnesses. Like medicine overpowers illness and gives strength to the individual, here this nectar overpowers all eighty-four thousand different delusions as well as their effects. the sufferings, like the sufferings of birth, ageing, illness, death etc. This practice can destroy the causes of suffering and the suffering both. That is why it is called ‘essence of nectar’. Also it has the power to strengthen people, to bring the individual to the ultimate buddha stage. That way it gives the practitioner the strength of life. It is the

54 Literature in the context of Lamrim: Tsongkhapa, The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Lamrim Chenmo, vol. II; Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in Our Hands, vol. III, p. 152-206; Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, p. 590-625; L.S. Dagyab Rinpoche, Achtsamkeit und Versenkung, p. 275-281; Geshe Thubten Loden, Path to Enlightenment, p. 570-606; Geshe Rabten, Treasury of Dharma, p. 157-175; Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, ch. 8, vs. 90- 184, and Gehlek Rimpoche’s commentary on it (not yet published). 55 Chapter XX. 56 Literally: training [Tib. jong] of the mind [Tib. lo]. Lojong is an elaborate practice of tonglen. 57 Kyabje is an honorific title for one’s teacher. 58 The translation of Gomo Rinpoche’s Becoming a Child of the Buddhas is used. Literature on the Seven-Point Mind Training: Gehlek Rimpoche, Lojong, Training the Mind in Seven Points; Dalai Lama XIV, Awakening the Mind, Lightening the Heart; Dalai Lama I, Training the Mind in the Great Way; Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Universal Compassion; Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Enlight- ened Courage; Jamgon Kongtrul, The Great Path of Awakening; Nampkha Pel, Mind Training Like the Rays of the Sun; Geshe Rabten and Geshe Ngwang Dhargyey, Advice from a Spiritual Friend; Geshe Lobsang Tharchin, Achieving Bodhicitta; Chögyam Trungpa, Training the Mind; Alan B. Wallace, A Passage from Solitude; Pema Chödron, Start Where You Are. Literature on other Lojong texts: Dharmarakshita, The Wheel of Sharp Weapons, in: Geshe Dhargey, The Wheel of Sharp Weapons; Langri Tangpa, Eight Verses on Thought Transformation, in: Tsultim Gyeltsen, Keys to Great Enlightenment, p. 43-64. 59 See page 41-42. 68 Lam Rim Teachings essence of all Buddha’s teachings, which are somehow all geared towards this practice that enables the individual to develop love-compassion and the altruistic mind up to the ultimate level. They have been passed down from Serlingpa. This practice has come through Lama Serlingpa.60 In order to get these teachings, Atisha made a journey of thirteen months across the seas to where Lama Serlingpa lived61. Sometimes you hear the name Lama Dharmarakshita62 [in connection to lojong]. I am not saying they are all one person, but the different [lojong] lineages have come through Lama Serlingpa to Atisha and finally to Geshe Chekawa of the Kadam tradition63, who made this particular seven-point mind training. They are like a diamond, the sun, and a medicinal tree. Like a diamond. Chekawa says this practice is like a vajra practice. The quality of the vajra is indestructi- bility: it can destroy anything to be destroyed, but is indestructible itself. Likewise this practice can destroy all delusions, but is indestructible itself. Not only that. A diamond is, even if broken, much more valuable than an ordinary jewel. Similarly, if one processes this bodhimind, no matter how immature it might be, one is more powerful and precious than an arhat. So, ‘like a diamond’ can be looked at from both angles: indestructible as a vajra and precious as a diamond. Like the sun. What does sunshine do? It illuminates. When it illuminates, what happens? The darkness is destroyed. Like sunrays alone destroy all darkness and illuminate the whole area, developing the bodhimind alone destroys… Gomo Rinpoche goes to the extent of [saying it] destroys ignorance, but I don’t think that is correct. I am not trying to be better than Kyabje Rinpoche, but maybe this is due to his way of writing; Rinpoche is not really a grammarian. You can say: just by developing the bodhimind, all the darkness of non-virtue is destroyed, like one of the benefits of the bodhimind says.64 To back that up, the Bodhisattvacharyavatara says: By entrusting myself to this (Awakening Mind) I shall be swiftly liberated Even if I have committed extremely unbearable evils. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 1, vs. 13 Like a medicinal tree. The power of the healing tree is that even a single branch or leaf has the power to destroy illness. Likewise, the slightest branch of this practice has the power to destroy the chronic disease of delusions. Understand the purpose and so forth of these texts. The meaning of it here is the development of the bodhimind. When the five degenerations are flourishing, transform them into the path to enlightenment. This practice not only helps you to develop the bodhimind, but it also brings transformation: the five impurities will be transformed into the path to enlightenment. What are the impurities? The five degenerations. Let me go through Rinpoche’s own writing here. Degeneration of time. Yes, we live in a degenerated time: the delusions are very strong and far more easily built up than the development of a proper practice. When people try to do something good, always something bad comes up. For example, when people try to develop peace, like Gorbatsjov who tried to dismantle communism and develop peace in the world, somebody else creates war. These sort of things are a clear indication of degenerated times. Not the individual person is to be blamed; it is the whole society, the whole atmosphere, the whole period going in that direction. If one thing has been worked out,

60 Lama Serlingpa is also called Lama Serlingpa Dharmakirti and also Lama Suvarnadvipa-Dharmamati, ‘the sublime teacher from the Golden Islands’. 61 For Atisha and Lama Serlingpa, see volume I, index entry: Atisha. 62 The author of The Wheel of Sharp Weapons, a master from India. 63 The Kadampa masters tradition covers the time from Atisha to Tsongkhapa, 11th to 14th century. Sayings of the Kadampa masters are to be found in Geshe Wangyal’s The Door of Liberation, p. 76-112. A western equivalent is to be found in the fourth-century desert masters. For their sayings, see Thomas Merton, The Wisdom of the Desert. 64 See page 19.

The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 69 something else goes wrong. That is a clear indication. Degeneration of beings. Beings always like to do the wrong things. Spirituality, uplifting the individual, cutting through delusions, building positive energy, etc. always comes last. Number one: it is not even coming into the picture. Number two: even if it comes into the picture, it will be the last rather than the first choice. That is a clear indication of degenerated beings. Degeneration of emotions. The delusions are much more powerful and effective and can grow easily because of the conditions. Degeneration of life. The life is not very good and also within the life there is a tremendous amount of unimaginable illnesses and disturbances. That is exactly what is going on today. There are some illnesses for which they find some solution through a lot of effort, but then another illness will come up for which there probably is no cure. Degeneration of view. The view will come at the wisdom point. Besides that, somehow Tsongkhapa’s tradition doesn’t accept the Kadampa viewpoint [on emptiness]. So, let it be. You can look into the degenerated age as a general thing, but you can regard it as concerning yourself, too. Remember Geshe Potowa65 or somebody had a disciple who said, “Well at this degenerated age everything is so bad.” Then Potowa looked back and started laughing, saying: The general degenerated age is not within you; An individual should see to it that it is not a degenerated age to that individual. We cannot do much about the general conditions, we have to do it individually. If you correct yourself, then that will affect another individual and that will affect the next person etc. That is Buddha’s way of serving people, of bringing peace and harmony within society. It starts from the individual. Some people say, “I can’t do that, but I will make sure my children will do it right!” That definitely doesn’t work. Also, if teachers say, “I cant do it, but you should,” that doesn’t work either. It has to start from the individual. The individual can go from degeneration to regeneration. i) Preliminary supporting dharma practices Initially, train in the preliminaries. The preliminaries are the Lamrim practices we have talked about: Our precious human life, the recognition of it, the importance of it and how it is difficult to find. Impermanence and death. The three major points are: death is definite, there is no certainty about the time you will die, and at the time of death nothing but dharma practice can help. After that follows thinking of the sufferings in the lower realms: the animal realm, the hungry-ghost realm and the eighteen hells. In each one of the hot or cold hells the physical sufferings double at every deeper level and ultimately the vajrayana hell is the lowest part. Remember, Buddhism is not a hell-free religion, but even though they may continue for a long period, these hells are not permanent. If you read the texts, the duration of life in each different hell realm is very long, much longer than the human-life period. It is obvious that if you have sufferings, even a short period seems very long. Five minutes is a long time if you suffer physical pains; you know that. Thinking about the three sufferings in the lower realms brings you to taking refuge and from there understanding of and meditating on karma, how the karmic system works. That covers the common with the lower level. Then follows common with the medium level: thinking of the sufferings in samsara in general: the fault of uncertainty, the fault of no satisfaction, the fault of changing the body very often, the fault of dying and taking rebirth very often, the suffering of going higher and lower, the suffering of separation from the near and dear ones, the suffering of having a companionship which you don’t want to have and not being able to have the companion that you want. All is samsaric nature. In particular there is the uncertainty of the enemy, friend and even neutral persons. Then there are the individual sufferings of the different realms. For human beings there is the suffering of birth, ageing, illness and dying. In the hell realms there is the physical suffering. In the hungry-ghost

65 11th Century.

70 Lam Rim Teachings realm there is hunger and for the animals there is unintelligence, not really knowing. The samsaric gods [Skt. devas] have the suffering of the signs of death. The jealous gods [Skt. asuras] always suffer from jealousy. In short, whatever rebirth you take, as long as it is in samsara, it is full of suffering, miseries, dissatisfaction, changing, and uncertainty, all of them. Looking into these as the faults of samsara in general and developing a strong mind to get away from samsara and be free of samsaric faults and problems, is the common with the medium level. These are the prerequisites [Tib. ngöndro] of the lojong. ii) Training the mind in the path to enlightenment Training in relative bodhicitta A. Practice in the meditation session Banish the one object of every blame. All problems are caused by one: holding yourself as the most important one, giving your need priority over others’ needs, making oneself more important than the others, seeking everything directly or indirectly to benefit oneself. So all the faults point to one. There is no other person than yourself, [i.e. your ego or ignorance] to be blamed. You cannot blame the other human beings, you cannot blame the articles, you cannot blame the failures of the engines, you cannot blame the failures of anybody else nor the non-human interference. So, all the blame has to be put upon ourselves, because of our ignorance. My ignorance within me makes me cherish myself more than anybody else. Therefore we develop jealousy to those higher than us, insult people lower than us and compete with the ones equal to us. Because of that sort of policy we have a tremendous amount of suffering. It is important to recognize that and when we do so, we can begin to call ourselves dharma practitioners. So, this one is the trouble-maker within us, the source of our problems. Meditate on everyone as kind. Meditate, acknowledge the kindness of everybody. If we look into ourselves, we see that all our happiness and virtue comes from giving. Our happiness has been given by mother sentient beings in general and in particular by those few who tried to harm us, whether human or non-human. We have to meditate and acknowledge that the harm done to us has been very helpful for us. That is very true. Why? If there is no harm done to us, if we don’t have problems, we’re not going to be bothered at all. When we see the problems, we begin to bother, we begin to think. Problems make us think. That is why. Lojong is a very positive practice. It goes to the extent of when ants or mosquitoes are biting you, you acknowledge, “Thank you for taking the things that I owe you.” We eat meat, so we have taken their flesh and blood, therefore we owe them something. It is very kind of them to take it now while we can pay them without it causing much trouble. If you look into the lives of the traditional teachers, many of them let the mosquitoes continuously take their blood, using that as a help to develop bodhimind. Langri Tangpa used to say, “No matter how many profound dharma teachings are available, when I read this text, the deepest what I can learn is: all faults are mine and all qualities belong to the sentient beings.” Langri Tangpa also says, “Give the profits and gains to all other sentient beings and take the blame and losses to yourselves.” He says there is no other thing than this to be understood.66

The [meditational] practice of give and take (tong-len) Train alternately in the two, taking and giving. Taking. Do the taking first. The taking is more important then the giving. If you cannot take [the sufferings], you cannot free beings. When you cannot free them, no matter what you give, it is hard to benefit anyone. Therefore do the taking first. Take all the sufferings, especially the non-virtues and obstacles, from everybody, from every sentient being. Visualize that you remove their sufferings. You take it and like a sort of black light collect it at your own heart level and dissolve it into your heart.

66 See Gehlek Rimpoche, Lojong: Training of the Mind in Eight Verses.

The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 71 Think that by that every sentient being has been separated from their pains, sufferings, non-virtues and obstacles. All of those have been cleared and they have become pure. Then you rejoice and pray, “May all the sufferings they have to pay and the obstacles they have to get, be given to me and may I be able to substitute them.” When you are practicing through the force of compassion, it is very strongly recommended to remove the sufferings of all sentient beings just like the barber shaves a head or beard. You visualize that from your heart, from your compassionate nature, light goes out and removes all the sufferings, collects them in a black form or black light. You specifically focus on each and every being that you want to collect the suffering from. Then you go into the hell realms. Visualize each one of the eighteen different hell realms. Remem- ber, during the refuge we visualized that you remove the suffering of each hell realm and then refuge is taken.67 Similarly, over here you see the beings in each one of those hell realms. You visualize them and collect their sufferings. If you can.68 This is not compulsory. If you can, you go on to the eight different hot hells and the eight different cold hells and the two nearby hells on the human level. Visualize them and collect the sufferings. Giving love and compassion is easy, but taking the sufferings is difficult. However, the buddhas and bodhisattvas have repeatedly said, “If you don’t take the sufferings, if you just give good energy and thoughts, it does no good whatsoever.” That is mentioned repeatedly. Human beings and all other samsaric beings are in the nature of suffering. Unless you take the sufferings away from them, they are not going to be happy and with pleasure at all. That is why, when you become a deeper Buddhist practitioner, taking is more important than giving. Normally you will hear people say, “I’ll give you my good thoughts, I’ll send you my good energy” and blah blah blah. But if you really want to do something, take rather than give. When you are taking in, there is nothing to take from the buddhas and the lama, apart from those taken from everybody. The buddhas and the lama are looked at as a buddha; they have no pains, no sufferings, so don’t take them, you would only take their happiness away. (Audience: What about their illnesses? Rimpoche: I am not sure whether they have true illness or not.) Some people have difficulties to take all sentient beings’ problems on them. For those people, Pabongka Rinpoche says, At this moment we are actually doing it through a mental exercise, but when you really develop you will develop a position whereby you can really take the sufferings from the other beings. In other words: you can develop a certain power to remove those pains and to be able to transform them. If you remember reading Milarepa’s biography: one geshe came and tried to challenge69. The geshe said, “I would like to do a debate with Milarepa on the transcendental practice, I would like to debate on the Madhyamika, the central path, or I would like to debate with him on the vinaya.” Milarepa told him, “I do not know anything on the parchin70 the ‘going beyond’, but if you are able to go beyond this level, then it is really going beyond. I do not understand what this dulba71 means, but if you control your mind that is real discipline.” So the poor geshe could not do anything. Either the geshe or the geshe’s niece gave Milarepa poison which they put in the yoghurt and Milarepa got very sick. Then the geshe regretted what he had done. He went to Milarepa and said, “I am so sorry I did that; I would like to take your suffering from you.” This time he was really talking honestly. Milarepa said, “You can’t.” He transferred all his pains on the door and said, “Take a little piece on you from the door, about one percent, and then see how you feel yourself.” Doing this [practice] really makes it possible to do so.

67 See chapter XI (volume II), index entry: ‘meditation guided: refuge’ 68 The meditation continues with the giving part of it on p.73 69 Lhalungpa, The Life of Milarepa, ch. 12. 70 Transliteration: phar phyin [Skt. paramita], transcendental practice. 71 Transliteration: dul ba [Skt. vinaya], discipline.

72 Lam Rim Teachings Actually, when you are collecting the sufferings at your heart, even if you can’t collect all of them, you should feel hot at the heart level. And it is not just collected into your own heart, but it is collected onto this terrible monster of self-cherishing thoughts. Begin taking with yourself. In case you are afraid of taking the sufferings from others, start with taking your own sufferings rather than everybody else’s, which will probably shake your knees. With shaking knees it won’t work, so to avoid that you start taking your own. For example: the pains and sufferings that you are supposed to go through in the evening you take in the morning. Pre-collection. You do the same with what is going to come the next day, next week, next month, next year, next life and the life thereafter. All of them you start taking. You don’t take anybody else’s problems; you take your own problems in your own hand and try to solve then. That is easier. Taking your own future problems is very common to us. We do that already, “If I don’t work today I’ll suffer tomorrow,” we say. So, first try to take your own sufferings of the evening. That is how you begin. When you think that is easy, then those of the next day, then those of the next week. Like that. Get the mind used to it and don’t try to do everything at once from the beginning. Then gradually you move to the person you care for. Take the sufferings of the person you are closest to, your parents and so and forth. Then take the sufferings from the neutral persons. And finally you can take the problems and pains from your enemies too. That is the actual practice. You have to sit, think and meditate and when your mind thinks you can go a little bit further, then do a little bit more. Don’t try to force it from the beginning, trying to collect everybody’s problems, because you can get into trouble. Get your mind used to it; that is very important. If your mind gets used to it, you’ll have no hesitation. When the mind gets used to it you have no hesitations to give your life also. When Buddha gave his body to the tigress, there was no hesitation. He did it very happily. But we cannot. We can’t even cut our fingers; we make a big deal of even a little cut. The further we go, the better we will understand. Like understanding the water better by going in with your toes first, then to your knees, etc. Here it says: Take it in the heart. If at that time you are afraid and develop anxiety, it is great. You may keep on thinking that actually you cannot take it. Although you cannot actually take other people’s suffering, it develops a tremendous amount of merit. Even if it is superficial – underline this – it creates a tremendous amount of merit, far more than doing a hundred thousand prostrations. And when the mind gets used to it, it will materialize, meaning you will develop the power to be able to really take that. That is how compassion works. Actual compassion will be able to take sufferings away from people. But you can’t take it permanently away from them, because it is their karma. Otherwise you would say, “Why didn’t Buddha take it?” It is not that someone will take the sufferings away and people will get completely better. What is meant is that the individual develops the capacity of being able to remove suffering. Whether through your taking the person gets completely free of the illness or not, is not the point. The point is that practitioners will develop the capacity of removing sufferings through their compassion. That is what this practice is about. When the practice becomes perfect, you’ll be able to do what you want to do. At that time it is no longer a simple mental exercise. You will have the capacity to remove suffering, you will have the capacity to reconnect others to a different level of karma. That doesn’t mean you will remove somebody’s karma, but you’ll be able to recondition it. If something is right it works, if not it doesn’t work. Sometimes when you do a certain puja for certain people somehow it clicks and a tiny little effort will totally make a person better. Sometimes no matter how much you do, it doesn’t work. It is not the capacity of the puja that does it, but the capacity of the individual who does it. Also the karmic [reconditioning] depends on the power of the person who does it. Pabongka continues here, When you meditate, you may sometimes meditate this from your level going down to all sentient beings from all different lower realms and going up to even the level of the tenth-bhumi bodhisattvas, where Buddha Maitreya is.

The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 73 Maitreya is supposed to be a tenth-bhumi bodhisattva rather than a buddha. Up to the tenth bodhisattva level, where the next step is to become a buddha, there are obstacles, there is non-virtue. All of that you take, one by one. Then go down, from the tenth to the ninth bhumi etc. Now it is time to change the focus. Earlier we insisted you put the focus on one certain thing and we said that you should begin to change the focus later. That is what Pabongka is saying here: Even if you hit the dog with a stone and the dog feels pain, that pain you also collect. Don’t let those pains disappear when you collect them. Don’t leave them aside, like some will teach you; those are easy solutions. Some people may get scared and even have trembling knees, but it doesn’t matter. You have to have a big heart to take it; to really take it. Take it on yourself, don’t leave it aside somewhere. Some people will suggest you create a shadow individual and throw it in there, but that is not right; that is definitely wrong. In that case the practice will become an ‘aside’. If you collect everything on your shadow then you are not on the point, because the target you are supposed to hit, is your self-cherishing attitude. If you create a shadow target, the whole purpose of the practice will be defeated. So it is very important to bring it to your heart level, the basis of your consciousness. Pabongka says, If in that case you develop fear it is a good sign. So then it creates a tremendous amount of merit, even though actually you could not take it. That is how you do tong-len: through compassion. You just can’t come and say, “Here I am to collect all these sufferings.” No. You generate great compassion by looking at the people, looking at their sufferings and developing a compassion which makes it unbearable that these loving, kind beings are suffering, “This is unbearable to me, I must remove that; I must help them immediately and do whatever I can.” That is how you do it. If you don’t have compassion and say, “Hey, I am supposed to remove all sufferings, where is your suffering?,” it won’t work. If you take it, you take it with the attitude of strong compassion. Put it in your body, put it in your heart and happily take its paining, its bleeding.

Giving. That is next. Tong is give, len is take. So although it is called tong-len, it actually is len-tong. Now when you try to give, you give everything, including your body. This probably sounds funny. Pabongka’s Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand says: The Laying Out of Stalks Sutra [Skt. Gandavyuha Sutra]72 speaks about this giving of your body. Whatever they want, whatever they need, for that purpose you give it. Let us say you give your body to those people suffering in the hot-hell realm. [Visualize that] your body will manifest there as a cold shower or a rainfall that has a tremendous power and so the power of the heat will be reduced. You give your body in that manner. And in the cold realms it will be some kind of powerful sunshine. Or you radiate electrical heat or whatever you want to give, something that makes them warm. Not only do you give them that and separate them from those pains, you also give your physical body to them so they can take rebirth into a human life, they become human beings. Also you transform your body into houses, clothes, food, medicine, whatever they need. Not shabby old houses but good solid ones they don’t have to worry about. So transform your body and give it as food to satisfy them, as clothes to put on; give them a teacher, give them dharma teachings. And also you visualize that you manifest your body as a teacher giving them teachings. They almost become a buddha, they are ready to become a buddha; to that level you bring it up. Similarly, you give heat to the cold hells, food to the hungry ghosts, wisdom to the animals, weapons to the jealous gods. Whatever their need is, you fulfill. These jealous gods are really badly in need of weapons. And then, the samsaric gods you give the material they enjoy, like beautiful flowers. These are the needs of the different realms, except for the human beings. Because human desires are limitless. So give to them whatever they might want, whatever they desire transform yourself into that and give it to them.

72 English translation of this part of the Avatamsaka Sutra: Thomas Cleary, Entry in the Realm of Reality.

74 Lam Rim Teachings Similarly, you give your wealth, your virtues. You give it to your teacher, to the lamas and buddhas, in the form of offerings. It is a good omen for them, having a long life and prosperity of activity. You can give all your virtues of past, present and future, but as far as body and wealth are concerned you only give present and future; the past is gone, therefore you cannot give it. For the virtues the past is included, because your virtues have been dedicated for enlightenment, so they remain. You don’t just say, “Hey, you need it, so I want to give it to you.” Not that way, not the American-grant way. Like you developed compassion before, here you develop love, caring and wishing, “If they were happy how great it would be. I wish they’d be happy. I will make them happy. Here is what I have. I’ll transform this into this form and make you happy.” Whatever you give, you give from the bottom of your heart with the powerful desire of making the individual totally happy. That is making the love exercise much stronger. Mount the two upon the breath. Place the giving and taking on the breath. “Ride them on the horse of the air” – that is how I say it. When you breathe in you take on all the sufferings. When you breathe out you give love. Also, whatever good karma of the three times you have, you give to all sentient beings. Not only do you give it to them, it becomes theirs. As a result all mother sentient beings are filled up with bliss and get into an uncontaminated, bliss- ful state. When you start this give and take on the breath, again, in the beginning it is hard. If you try to focus your mind on the breath, then there is nothing to give. And if you focus your mind on giving, you don’t follow the breath. People have that problem in the beginning. But once you get used to it, you can do anything. So keep on practicing. And when you can’t do it, first follow the out-breath and think of all your virtues going out, reaching all sentient beings and making them happy. And then take in, focus on the breath going in and then take in, not only the incoming air, but along with that all the sufferings they have. I believe this practice is considered a very important technique. Sometimes it is even referred to as a mechanical technique. Mechanics can put a lot of things together and make things work like a ticking watch. This is a very important point, almost like vajra recitation in the completion stage of the Vajrayana practice. Kedrub Je, one of Je Tsongkhapa’s main disciples, praises Tsongkhapa by saying, Even a single little breath of you becomes very worthy for all sentient beings. So, as to all your other activities, there is no question about whether it is helpful to sentient beings or not. When Kedrub Je uses the word ‘even a single breath’ it refers to this point.

The actual practice we are talking about is lojong. Tong-len is part of it. From now on lojong should be the essence of your practice. What you are getting here is the real essence of practice.

B. In between the meditation sessions There are three objects, three poisons, and three roots of virtue. Three objects. Those are the objects that you like (your friends), the objects you dislike (your enemies) and the neutral ones. Three poisons. When you look at the objects you like you develop attachment, when you look at the objects you dislike, you develop hatred and you look at neutral objects nothing happens [ignorance]. So you look at objects that you like and you see how you develop attachment, And as you develop attachment other sentient beings will also develop attachment. And as a result of that attachment there is non-virtue and also suffering. The cause of the suffering is the attachment, the cause of the attachment is the way we look at things and the result of the attachment is the suffering – all three of them you collect.

The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 75 Vice versa, you collect the hatred, the result of hatred and its cause. And also [with regard to] the neutral people, you take in the indifferent feelings, which is a sort of ignorance, the result of indifferent feelings and its cause. All three. Turn by turn you take them in. Three roots of virtue. Then you also think, “May all sentient beings be free from the attachment, hatred and ignorance. May they enjoy the virtue that is free of attachment, the virtue that is free of hatred, the virtue that is even free from ignorance.” These, in brief, are the instructions for the post-meditation period. Be mindful in order to admonish yourself. Train yourself with the verses during all activities. In order to remember, saying the lojong words by mouth is very useful. It reminds you of its points, so it is very useful, it is recommended. If you can’t do that, in the sutras there are a lot of longer versions of his thought transformation. The shortest one is in the Lama Chöpa, verse 61: Therefore, supremely compassionate Lama, Inspire me to take the bad deeds, imprints, and sufferings Of all beings to ripen upon me right now, And to give to them my happiness and virtue So that all beings may be happy. Even saying that is good enough and you can meditate the whole thing on that. Some of the earlier great lamas used to do this as their daily practice, not this verse but the whole tong-len verses. And some of them used to do that a number of times like you do e.g. OM MANI PADME HUM a million times. People used to do those sort of things. The most important, the essence of it is: whatever you do, whatever you say, whatever action you create, you try to use that as a method to develop bodhimind. That is the essence of the actual practice. It is also recommended to read the Avatamsaka sutra73. I think it was translated from the Chinese ver- sion. Tsongkhapa, I believe, used to read that tremendously. In this sutra it gives all the qualities of a buddha and all this. I never read it. It is included in the canon, about 24 volumes I believe. Anyway, that is recommended to read.

Training in ultimate bodhicitta74 Having attained stability, be shown the secret. Consider phenomena to be like a dream. Analyze the nature of ungenerated awareness. Even the antidote itself is naturally free. Focus on the nature of the basis of all, the entity of the path. Between sessions be an illusionist. iii) Bringing unfavorable conditions into the path to enlightenment This is very important for us, particularly in a degenerated time like this. In order to do a good practice we have lots and lots of obstacles. And when we cannot overpower them or avoid them, what would you do? The example of the camels. We Tibetans used to consider camels as a bad sign, so we drove all camels away in the direction of the Mongols, who welcomed and accepted them and the camels became very useful in that area. Similarly here, all the obstacles should be transformed into help rather then treating them as bad and running away for them. This is a real Madam-Positive attitude. Unless we are able to do this, we live in a degenerated age, where whatever we get, good or bad, becomes an obstacle rather than help. How do things become an obstacle? If we have a little success in our material life, we become proud of it and somehow that creates something and we lose our practice. Some things become a little more at-

73 Thomas Cleary, The Flower Ornament Scripture, a translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra. Its final book, the Gandavyuha Sutra, was published separately under the title Entry into the Realm of Reality. It describes the development of enlightenment through tales of a pilgrimage done by a seeker of truth named Sudhana. 74 This part was not taught. See Gehlek Rimpoche, Lojong: Training the Mind in Seven Points.

76 Lam Rim Teachings tractive, so they occupy the priority and you lose the practice. Some people have some bad things happening, some difficulties, and that creates bad conditions and you lose the practice. Any change that comes in people’s lives, becomes an obstacle to practice, unless the person is really solid and really, really soaked in. Otherwise with any change, not only they shift their priority, but somehow it becomes an obstacle too. At the degenerated age all negative forces are very powerful and very effective. No matter whatever material benefit you get, somehow all of them become illnesses, separations and obstacles to practice. In short, we already don’t have a very good practice and if we even lose whatever we slightly try to do, it will be very, very sad for us. So we have to have a method for them not becoming obstacles to our practice but becoming part of it instead. That is how you transform the obstacles. That is divided into two: the mental way –(mental behavior and viewpoint75) and the action way.

(1) Transformation through mind: mental behavior The root text says: When the vessel and its contents are filled with negativities, Transform these unfavorable conditions into the path to enlightenment. In the Lama Chöpa, verse 62, it says: Even if the world and its beings, Filled with the results of negative actions, Pour down a rain of unwanted suffering, Inspire me to take these miserable conditions as a path, Knowing that this burns away my negative karma. Tie the rope on your own horn. Sometimes everybody is becoming an obstacle, particularly the people near and dear to you, and also the environment. You know, when certain obstacles come, everybody tells you you are crazy, whatever you are doing is wrong, your priority is wrong, so the things you spend a tremendous amount on are declared totally worthless. They tell you, “Instead of that, let us get away, go somewhere sunny, to the beautiful Florida coast” or something. And sometimes it looks as if it makes sense, too. Why not? These sorts of things are obstacles. Obstacles will come in particular from your own close people, the people that you care for and that you would like to please. You would like to act according to the mood of the person. We do that very often in our lives, we simply dance to the drum. We act according to the mood of other people rather than to our own convictions. This is the beginning of losing control over your practice. The Tibetans make a hole in the yak’s nose and put a long rope through it, so the yak has to go where you want it to go. If you leave this rope in the hands of somebody else, you’re taken here or there and you can’t do much. So it is said, If you are a good practitioner have this rope tied on your own horn rather than giving it into somebody else’s hand. This is important. You will not recognize or acknowledge you are losing the control. You think you are doing people a favor, you are doing great. However, you are losing your rope. If you are a good practitioner, the first practice is to take the rope, put it on your own horn and don’t let anybody hold it. And if anybody tries to, poke them with your horn. The first priority is poking. Okay? When you have to do something for your own benefit as well as some important service for others’ benefit, even if you have to ignore or dissatisfy a few people, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter at all. It doesn’t make you a bad person, it doesn’t make you uncooperative, it doesn’t become socially unacceptable. If we don’t protect our priority, the basis for our own future-lives, who else is going to protect it? You don’t have to worry about what other people are going to think about it. Your first priority for not having obstacles on your way is to be independent. That is very important. The moment you lose the inde- pendence, you are bound to have obstacles and that way a lot of people lose their practice. Remember, earlier we talked about non-virtuous friends.76 Non-virtuous friends normally don’t appear as non-virtuous. They don’t have horns on their heads, they don’t have fangs in their mouth, they

75 The viewpoint refers to training in ultimate bodhicitta (see above) and is not discussed here. 76 See volume II, index entry: non-virtuous friends.

The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 77 don’t wear strange clothes, they don’t have the label of non-virtuous friend, but they appear as the one who cares most, as the one who loves you most, “I am saying it for your own good,” “I am doing this for your benefit,” “You, you” is on the sweet tongue with honey on the edge of the razor. When you take that, what do you lose? The life of your practice. You lose your balance, you lose everything. It might not be immediately, but the strength and energy that you put in will be weakened and weakened. And only then will you begin to notice it. This is very, very common, so one has to be very careful.

Who is to blame. About illnesses and wrong conditions that we get a lot, Pabongka says, When you have those things remember the kindness of everybody. When we have illnesses and conditions we don’t like, what do we normally do? Put the blame onto somebody else. “If I had not eaten that food, I would not have got sick.” “If so and so hadn’t done this, I would have been better.” “If so and so had not been there, my conditions would have been different.” And if you don’t have any of those, it must be some non-human obstacle that has come in. We blame whatever we can: food, time, our companion. “I would have been better much faster if the doctor had come earlier.” That is an indication of self-cherishing. “I could have done much better if my office would not have put that much pressure on it. If my boss were a little relaxed I could have done better. If my boss were not looking over my shoulder all the time, I would have done better. If my staff didn’t take time off, I would not have so much pressure.” All of them are definitely true, but they come as an obstacle to us. Look very carefully where the root really lies. Instead of blaming anybody, sit down and think where the root lies. During the common with the lower level we have already introduced: every suffering that we have to go through is the result of our own karma, nobody else did it. We go through these conditions because that karma was created. Who created it? I created it, nobody else. I created it because I wanted to be better. So the ultimate root of all the blames is the self-cherishing, the self-importance. That is the ultimate one. Pabongka says, Even if the thieves come and steal your things there is no way you can blame the thieves. You have to blame yourself, your self-cherishing thoughts. Lojong practitioners go to this extent. The self-cherishing thoughts created bad karma, because of the result of that bad karma you lost this, this and this. So instead of blaming the thieves you have to blame your self-cherishing thoughts. For any illness that we have, any pinches we get – whether money pinches, time pinches or heart pinches – we have to blame the self-cherishing.

Meditation: obstacles as a help Blaming self-cherishing alone will not do. Take these obstacles as a help to develop the buddha stage. Welcome the unfavorable things like the Mongolians welcomed the camels that the Tibetans had thrown out. As the Kadampa lamas used to say, All illnesses and pains are the broom to sweep the non-virtuous actions, the obstacles and problems. Think, “Well I have these problems, I have to experience this, I don’t like it, but I can’t help it. So I take it. I have to become a buddha, I have to clear my karma, so I put double energy and double effort in it.” So you think, first taking yourself as object: “Whatever unavoidable circumstances, physical pain and mental pinches I have, it is all the result of non-virtuous karma. One time or another I have to experience these results and I am experiencing it this time, so I am very happy. This should be able to justify that I don’t have to face any more of those pains and problems. So I can take it.” Then you think, taking others as object, “I am very lucky to be able to materialize the results within this lifetime, where sufferings are very limited. If this would materialize in a future life, it could be [that I would be] in a hell realm, a hungry-ghost realm, or in an animal life. I am fortunate to be able to have it here, where I can handle it, where I am not completely out off balance, where there are ways and means to handle it.

78 Lam Rim Teachings Actually I have been able to take the suffering of sentient beings physically on me. I have been practicing, meditating, praying and it has materialized. I am very fortunate that I am able to materialize it this time. “ Again, use the tong-len practice. When doing this practice when you’re ill, don’t hope to get better, but just let it be and think, “I have been very fortunate to be able to take all these illnesses of all the sentient beings onto me. I have been praying for it, I have been practicing it and now it has actually materialized. How fortunate it is.”77 When you take an illness that way, it will also not become an obstacle. I will tell you something. One of my teachers, Gen Peme Rinpoche, once went to London and he got a stroke over there. He came back to India and was given treatment. One day I went to Dharamsala and met him in the monastery where he was staying. He said, “You have come, good, we’ll do a Lama Chöpa tsoh.” At the time of this verse he stopped and said, “Now you do a good tong-len.” I said, “Okay.” He said, “I went to see the Dalai Lama and explained to him what happened, but I made one big mistake that I was very much embarrassed about.” I asked him why. He had asked His Holiness, “Do you think I am going to get better from this illness?” His Holiness had replied, “What difference does that make?” “And then,” he said, “I was very embarrassed. I am sorry I raised that question and I pray: if it is better to be sick I should be sick, if it is better to die I should die, whatever is better for the benefit of all beings I should be…” He told me that and said to me, “You do a good tong-len today.” That is what lojong does. If you do this, every obstacle will become a help instead of an obstacle. And if you are a good practitioner and you try to heal people through a tong-len practice, it helps a lot. If you are not a good practitioner, it doesn’t matter how much you beat the drum, it makes no difference.

Good practitioner. What is a good practitioner? I think there are two things. One: to have a good motivation and to have a perfect practice – with motivation as well as actual concentration perfect. Two: whatever you have to do, that everyday practice you should be doing constantly. If you know everything, but you only do it once in a while, it will never work. Constant practice is the key. Even if it may not be of good quality, doing it constantly, every day, is the key. If you know the technique, read the book and dance according to the book, it won’t work. You have to have a constant practice, every day. Then it definitely works. Drom Rinpoche, the most outstanding disciple of Atisha and of all the Kadam tradition, took the illness of leprosy at the end of his lifetime. Atisha had already mentioned earlier, “If you have leprosy at the end of your life then you will meet me in Tushita in your future life; if you don’t, you won’t meet me for seven lifetimes.” So Drom Rinpoche took that leprosy. Sometimes obstacles become a reminder for your practice. When you have difficulties, it is giving you a sign, “If you don’t like those conditions, as they are coming from non-virtuous karma, why don’t you get the cause out?” Take the message that way rather than saying, “He did that, so I was pissed off and blah blah blah.” Instead of wasting time, make the obstacles effective by creating good karma and purifying bad karma. That will be useful. If you don’t have obstacles, you’ll enjoy life and forget the dharma practice. So sometimes getting obstacles will be useful. The Kadampa lamas used to say: Obstacles are to make you a little conscious and mindful. The buddhas have created those demons to make you think. Think, “All these obstacles came because I have not been doing dharma practice. I have been totally involved in material things. I am totally absorbed in it and because of these obstacles – certain illnesses, certain difficulties in the family, certain dreams – I received a little sign. I am very grateful to the buddhas for creating such conditions, which remind me that I have overly indulged in material activity, I have been letting myself down in my practice. I am putting little time into my practice, I am using much more time for material benefit. So I am very grateful for whatever signs are coming over me, I am grateful to the protectors for making me move, making me realize what I have been doing.”

77 This meditation is continued at the next page.

The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 79 All sufferings come as a result of our non-virtues. You can think two ways here. You can take that as the pains of all sentient beings being on you and pray, May this last long with me – do not pray you will get better – may this substitute all other sentient beings’ sicknesses and may this purify all my non-virtuous karma. Or, if you don’t feel like doing that, you think, This is the result of self-cherishing. I recognize where the real cause of my suffering lies. I recognize my enemy now, so I have to destroy him. Tibetans use the example of hitting a thieving dog with a stone and thus driving him away. Similarly, whenever you see the self-cherishing, hit it on the head and push it out. Be hard on it. Don’t be hard on yourself, but be hard on the self-cherishing thought. There is a big difference between those! And, Those who are ever helping me to recognize the demons or illnesses or obstacles, I am grateful to, I am happy with. I don’t hate myself, I am happy with myself, I am grateful to them for reminding me. Normally, whenever we have small difficulties, the first thing that we throw out is the practice and we try to solve that problem somehow or another. That is our normal functioning. In fact, that is a good indication of [the level of] the practice. It shows the person didn’t really get into the practice, didn’t really soak into it. In other words, the person might not have been a good practitioner. You can judge the practice level of the people by the way they handle their obstacles. That is really true testing. It is not a test done by an individual, but by all buddhas and protectors. So the practitioners are advised: when you have those sorts of obstacles coming, then… The Kadampa lamas gave a real Tibetan example. When you cross a mountain pass there are certain areas where you can’t get up nor down. One side is totally rocky, the road is bad, the other side is a huge abyss, so you can’t jump or do anything. This is the sort of area where the robbers normally wait for the travelers. In certain areas the robbers let the travelers pass through and then they block them from the back and the front and they can’t do anything except fight or give them everything and save their lives. So people would be very careful when they had to go through that sort of pass. (That is the pre-59 condition.) When we have obstacles, instead of giving up on our practice, we should be more careful, more conscious, like passing through that sort of pass. Whenever we get illnesses and difficulties, obstacles coming close, it is an indication that it is time for us to be very aware of the condition and be careful, make sure you don’t lose the practice. Especially if you have an illness, do a lot of tong-len practice. That is very important. The Bodhi- sattvacharyavatara says: Furthermore, suffering has good qualities: Through being disheartened with it, arrogance is dispelled, Compassion arises for those in cyclic existence, Evil is shunned and joy is found in virtue. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 6, vs. 21 One of the qualities of suffering and sadness is that your pride will be cut. Look at it that way. And also develop compassion for others who are going through what you are going through. Recognize that it is the result of non-virtue. If you don’t like it, avoid non-virtues. In the Kadampa tradition the lojong practitioners sometimes chose to have suffering rather than to be happy. Again, they think the other way round: If you are happy it is not good, if you are sad and bad, if you are suffering, it is great. Why? If you are enjoying life and being happy, you are using the result of good karma. It is cutting through your savings. Having pleasures is cutting through the good karmas that you have saved. If you are suffering, it is cutting through your savings of negativity rather than through your savings of positivity; it cuts bad karmas, non-virtues and obstacles. The Kadampa lamas used to say, When you become a very high-ranking person, you become a prisoner. When you are lower it is Buddha’s place.

80 Lam Rim Teachings Gungtang Rinpoche78 goes further and says, Falling from the high tree [of name and fame] is very hard. It is much better for me to remain at the middle of it. The Kadampa lamas go even further and say, Of all the great enlightened beings none had pride and none of them went high up. Everybody maintained themselves as lower, rather than saying “I am somebody.” The Kadampa lamas go to the extent of saying, There is nobody moving below me but only the water. So everybody is higher than me. There was a funny monk called Zhangtreng Kaber Chung, that even Drom Rinpoche prostrated to whenever he saw him. It shocked everybody, but Drom Rinpoche behaved that way. He kept himself very low, saying, “Nobody is below me except the water.” That is how the Kadampa lamas keep themselves. If you keep yourself lower, if you keep away your pride, it helps you to get along well with your companions too. As lojong practitioners, you act thus: If somebody praises you, don’t like it, If somebody says bad things to you, like it. Why? Pabongka says, If somebody tells you bad things, it is showing your faults clearly. If somebody praises you, it helps you to build up your pride. That pride is going to destroy this life as well as your future life. It is the creator of problems. If somebody insults you, it is okay. At that time it is not that great, you may become red, it does not suit your ear, but when you think carefully, you see that by that you can correct your behavior. If you get praised a lot, you get a big head and it will destroy your own future as well as the future of others. We all know the examples. Some world leaders think they are doing great; each one of them is playing his game even at the cost of the lives of people; that is what they do. And if somebody would tell them in their face, “Look, what you do is totally wrong” probably he or she would be put behind bars. But if they could think about it, it would help. If people talk about you and make you controversial, that is great. The Kadampa lamas say, People talking bad about you behind your back is a gift of the deities. Another way of looking at it when you are happy, is to think, Well, this is the result of good karma, the result of the bodhimind practice. These sort of enjoyable results are the result of good practice, therefore I should do it more. That way you handle anything. All obstacles that you have you start taking as advantages. If obstacles come, take them as a reminder to practice. If help comes, take it as a reminder to practice. As a good lojong practitioner actually you don’t have much unhappiness within your mind. Mentally you won’t have much unhappiness because you are taking an extremely positive attitude. Everything, even the troubles, illnesses and so on are taken as an advantage. Therefore there is not so much unhappiness as far as the mental state is concerned. Therefore the mind training is called ‘a city of joy’, meaning there is nothing bad: if bad, it is good; if good, it is good. The advice continues here: With any obstacle that comes, even a tiny little one, we can freak out. Don’t. In old Tibet, if you are traveling on horseback and the rain starts to fall, it is a very big problem, because of all the loads you are carrying and all this. However, don’t take that rainfall as an obstacle, but take it as a help: the thieves will not come, because they also have difficulties. So, don’t go with a long face; no use. Go with a happy smiling face, because thieves won’t come in such bad weather and you have to go anyway. Take it with a happy attitude. The Bodhisattvacharyavatara now concludes:

78 Gungtang Konchok Tenpey Dronme, allso called Gungtang Jampelyang.

The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 81 Why be unhappy about something If it can be remedied. And what is the use of being unhappy about something If it cannot be remedied? Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 6, vs. 10 If you can correct things, why worry? Don’t keep on worrying but stop worrying and correct the situation. If you cannot correct it, how will worrying help? How will a long face help? Forget it, don’t torture yourself, just do something else. That is what Shantideva says. If there is something to be corrected, just go and correct it and forget about it. If there is nothing that can be corrected, forget it and don’t even worry about it. We know that, we can see that, but we can’t help it. Why? Because we are so used to worrying and we are not used to not worrying. So you have to learn not to worry about things. If there is something to be done, you should not neglect it, you should do whatever you can. But if you can’t do anything, there is nothing to be done and you should just forget it, whatever the consequences may be. Wait. It may not even materialize. If you have physical pains and you keep on worrying mentally, it is additional pain, it won’t help at all. So try to make the pain as useful as possible: take it as a help to develop bodhimind. Pabongka says, Sometimes people have sicknesses from which they almost die, but somehow they don’t die. And they have no learning about dharma or Lamrim. However, after they get better, they begin to see how impermanent life is and they also begin to see how wrong our views normally are. Individual people get this sort of help to recognize. Even without any information or without any background at all that happens. Those of us who have the information and background should be better than that! So, whenever you have these sort of difficulties, especially strong illnesses, you have to keep up, “It doesn’t matter what happens to me, but may all the sentient beings’ problems fall on me and may my sufferings and pain substitute for whatever problems all sentient beings have to face. May it fall on me and may I go through all this. May that really happen.” If you think that way, there is no other practice more beneficial then that. It is a little frightening, but very worthwhile. Up to here it is transformation through mind.

(2) Transformation through action Immediately apply whatever you meet to meditation. Possess the four preparations, the supreme method. There are four actions: accumulation of merit purification giving torma to the spirits making offerings to and asking help from the protectors. When persons with a good lojong practice have illnesses and obstacles, they ask the protectors, “The sufferings of the sentient beings are now materializing on me and I am very happy. Please help me, let it become worse and last longer.” So, you make offerings and say, “I am happy that all the illnesses and problems now materialize and that is great. I am very happy. So please give all the help so it may last longer and be more severe.” And when you are giving gifts to the spirits you say, “Thank you for disturbing us. This is the reward given to you for disturbing us. Because of your disturbance we cleared our non-virtues; it helps us to develop merit and to pick up our practice better. Thank you. Please do some more harm, whatever you can.”79

In short, whenever you have sufferings you have to find out where it is coming from. Recognize that it is coming from the karma. Who created that? I did. Why did I create suffering karma? Because I have self- cherishing thoughts. How do I stop self-cherishing thoughts? I search the ‘yellow pages’; find the lojong, plug it out, recall it, apply it and get it to stop. (Laughs.) Do you get it?

79 More in: Gehlek Rinpoche, Lojong: Training the Mind in Seven Points, four preparations

82 Lam Rim Teachings In the Lama Chöpa, verse 62, it says: Even if the world and its beings, Filled with the results of negative actions, Pour down a rain of unwanted suffering, Inspire me to take these miserable conditions as a path, Knowing that this burns away my negative karma. Whenever, wherever, whatever happens, whatever conditions you meet, try to turn them immediately into lojong practice. Whether good or bad, uncertain or planned, turn it into practice. That is how you make your life worthwhile. iv) Practice in actual life In brief, the essence of the instructions is to apply the five forces. The Great Vehicle instructions on transference are those very five forces; cherish this behavior. In the Lama Chöpa, verse 63, it says: In short, whether conditions seem favorable or unfavorable, Inspire me to make a habit of happiness, By increasing the two types of Bodhimind Through the practice of the five forces, essence of all the Dharma.

(1) The five powers applying to this life The practice in life is using the five powers: the power of thought white seed power experience power antidote power the power of prayer.

The power of thought. Among the five the power of thought [or motivation] is the most important. When you get up in the morning, the moment you open your eyes you think: in general this life, in particular this year and especially today I will not waste my time, I will try as much as possible to spot and hit my enemy, the self-cherishing. This is real lojong practitioners’ practice: to spot anything that comes out and hit it. Geshe Beng, a Kadampa geshe, used to say, I am waiting near the gate of the delusions. I am holding a spear in hand. When the delusions are careful I’ll be more careful. When the delusions relax, I’ll be more relaxed. That is the power of thought, which you have to apply early in the morning. That thought will make everything different. So instead of in the morning trying to think how you’ll spend the day, “What do I have to do, whom do I have to call, what do I have to complete today?” it is recommended to first motivate yourself not to waste your life and to make that thought strong. So, again, we have to change what we normally do. This is the important morning thought. And that decision has to come from the bottom of your heart, which makes a lot of difference.

The white seed power. In order to develop the bodhimind, you do what is required: purification, accumulation of merit [and dedication]. How does that help? Many times you do good things for the benefit of this life and in that case it becomes lucky karma, it does not become a cause for enlightenment. The white seed power is: do any good work that you do for the development of the bodhimind, even digging the ground and planting flowers. Rejoice and pray, “Like this grows and blooms, may my bodhimind bloom like-

The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 83 wise.” So the power of the white seed is: enabling any good work that we do to bring about the ultimate bodhimind rather than turn into lucky karma.

The experience power [or power of familiarity]. That is trying to get experience on bringing about the development of bodhimind. During whatever you do – whether you sleep, talk, walk, sit or whatever – your major focus is to develop bodhimind. If you do so, it is constant meditation, constant practice. Then you don’t have to go to a separate place and say “I am doing retreat.” Not at all. With whatever you do, you simply try to become familiar with developing the relative and absolute bodhimind, both. Pabongka says, What the bodhisattvas do is beyond our comprehension. It is possible for them because they gain the experience and they keep on doing it. They get used to doing it. ‘Used to it’ might not be a good word here. I should say ‘when they develop…’ That makes it a little more mystic, a little more romantic. But actually, it is getting used to. When they become a little developed they can even give their body, they can take out their eye and give it, like you read in their life-stories. When you are used to it, giving a part of your body will be just like giving a handful of vegetables. Dharmakirti always said, “If you are used to it, nothing is difficult, everything is easy.” He insists to use to word ‘used to it’. If you are used to it, you can do anything. Some of the great teachers used to say they could meditate the whole Lamrim in a very short time-period: when riding a horse, while putting one leg in the step and putting the other leg over the horse, in that period they meditated the complete Lamrim, because they were used to it. The same goes for meditation. When you get used to it, it becomes part of you, part of your life, part of your functioning, part of your character. It becomes your habitual pattern, so you don’t have to go and have separate retreats and pay two hundred dollars etc. I use the word ‘used to it’, but remember: what I am talking about is ‘when you meditate you become perfect’. Gom is the word for meditation; it is the same thing as experience. When the meditation gets materialized it becomes ‘used to it’. Trying to develop the bodhimind is based on building what we call a habitual pattern. When you sleep, when you think, when you joke, whatever you do, you are concerned with the bodhimind and every effort you put in, you put on trying to develop the bodhimind. Try to remind yourself automatically. Write yourself a note, put a knot in your belt, do whatever reminds you of the bodhimind, get used to it all the time. Just think how much time we spend on spiritual and how much time we spend on non-spiritual things. It is not a bad idea to measure it sometimes, to calculate it from one week: how much did I really put in? Those who claim to have dedicated their whole sixty-year-old life to spirituality, if counted in hours and minutes, it is not going to be more than five to ten years. So see how much effort we really put in. Very little. I am not complaining, don’t misunderstand me. This is our life, this is the way we live, this is our beautiful century, the mechanically well-developed world that we live in. Let’s make the best use of it.

Jewel Heart. Few people are fortunate enough to be able to put in more time. It is their karma. But we can find some way or another to provide the opportunity. It is one of the aims of Jewel Heart we talked about from the beginning: that we rotate work and go in retreat for a couple of months. I don’t know whether it will materialize or not, but we have that in mind. That way people can be provided with a better opportunity. You know, a group like Jewel Heart, with so many people in it, should be able to do that, so that everybody has the opportunity to do something spiritual. Otherwise, with American life as it is, taking a three-month retreat is impossible, forget about a three- year retreats. Even to come in for a one-week retreat you have to take hardship. Our busy life with our immediate, urgent needs is cutting the precious opportunity to work for the benefit of the many lives that are coming. A society like Jewel Heart should be able to work against that, so that we’ll be able to utilize every opportunity we have, in a group as well as individually. Use your time. If there is extra time in the toilet, put it in. It doesn’t matter, a lot of people meditate while being on the toilet, I know of it. The toilet is a good enough place to think, why not? You can have the bodhimind meditation, emptiness meditation. What is wrong with that? Tell me. In the beginning that is what we can do. So the power of experience is: trying to develop the bodhimind whenever and wherever you can.

84 Lam Rim Teachings The antidote power is: recognize self-cherishing as the thieving dog and whenever you see it, hit it! (Poor dog; such is the Tibetan character.) As much as you worry and watch the thieving dogs you watch for these self-cherishing thoughts and whenever a self-cherishing thought comes up, you kick it. Kicking is the antidote to apply. When it becomes more powerful, you have to increase the power of the antidote. As I told you very often, spiritual practice is a fight, a battle, and we are the battleground. The negative forces and the positive forces fight on me and if the negative forces win, I am the one who loses. When sitting nicely it is very easy for us to hit the self-cherishing on the head whenever it comes. But when you go out into the world, it is not that easy. We all know that. Then we have to reinforce ourselves. Now you may think, “Alright, it is very simple, I’ll make my antidote a little bigger, I’ll put more force on it.” I don’t think it works all the time; sometimes it doesn’t. You know why? No side-support. The side-support is: purification and accumulation of merit. If you miss the side-support, then even if you put more force on it, it won’t work. When side-support comes in, it helps. Do you get the message? Please remember that.

The power of prayer. That is dedication, more or less. Prayer and dedication is almost the same. At the end of every day, before you go to sleep, dedicate whatever virtues you have done, and pray, “For the benefit of developing the two bodhiminds I dedicate any good work I did.”

These are the five powers governing our daily life as a practitioner of lojong, the five powers on the lifelong practice of bodhimind, the bodhisattva practice.

(2) The five powers of the death stage The most important during the death stage is how to connect one’s life to a better future life. Buddhism came out with a lot of different ways for doing that. There is the phowa, normally known to you. Pho means ‘to transfer’. It is a complete practice of transferring one’s consciousness from the ordinary life into a pure land. The purpose of phowa is to forcefully make you take rebirth in a better life. There are phowas through different buddhas and to different pure lands: well-known is the Amitabha Buddha phowa. The technique is the one of hik and phat, by which your consciousness is pushed through forcefully, made as light as a bird’s feather and thrown up80. In the lojong practice the phowa is done by the five powers. As your life is governed by five powers, your death should also be governed by five powers. They have the same name but are different. One good quality of lojong is that the lojong phowa doesn’t have a hik or phat at all.

The power of thought. That is: “Just before I die, at the time of death or in the bardo period, I am not going to be separated from the bodhimind.” Making that constant decision within you, is the power of thought of the dying stage. It is again the motivation. You always motivate yourself, “I don’t want to waste my lifetime, this year, this month, this week and especially this day and hour.” Similarly here you say, “Particu- larly at the time of death I will be along with the practice of the bodhimind. I will die while concentrating on bodhimind, while practicing bodhimind, with the bodhimind.” That kind of being mentally prepared this way, makes a difference. Practicing bodhimind means: you have not developed the bodhimind, you are trying to gain it. With the bodhimind means: you have developed the bodhimind and you are going through with it. Always have that motivation.

The white seed power. In the five powers of life the white seed power is purification, accumulation and dedication. Here it is to watch where your attachment lies. Whatever you have the strongest attachment to, try to cut that out. People may have strong attachment for things, for wealth, for their parents, companions, kids, and so on. When you are going to die, cut your strongest attachment. If you have some very nice article you are attached to, give it away, give things to the needy, make offerings to Buddha, dharma and sangha and don’t keep your belongings. Tibetans are good at that. Some will say, “This cloth is a cause of suffering, a cause of attachment, I will give it away.” But sometimes what is really worthy they won’t even touch, they

80 This practice is to be learned separately.

The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 85 try to keep that somewhere. That won’t work. We shouldn’t do that. Give everything away. That is very helpful to the individual. It is more helpful if you do it yourself during your lifetime than you having somebody else doing it after you have died. If at the time of death you have attachment, then even if you want to go, you can’t. I have given you the example of Gomo Rinpoche’s disciple who couldn’t go because of a new shirt. Gomo Rinpoche is one of the great teachers, a great master! But he behaved so funny, you have no idea, you would not even know he is a great person. [Rimpoche tells the story of tearing up a shirt as well as the butter tea story81 again.] Something totally useless, like a piece of shar worth less then a penny, can hold back individuals who are ready to go into the pure land. What message does that give us? Any sort of strong attachment that we have at the time of death, can definitely hold us back. So it is very important not to have attachment. If people have to worry about their children, they should take care of these matters before they go. There is no harm in taking care of something beforehand. Whatever you have to take care of, take care of it beforehand; don’t let it worry you at the time of death. Children, husband, girlfriend, property, money, etc. – all of them can hold you back. So the power of the white seed here is: whatever you have a strong attachment to, take care of that first. Don’t let it linger around at the time of death.

Gomo Rinpoche was very fond of his ritual objects, he had the best bell, the best damaru etc. He spent time, money and energy on it. But before Rinpoche passed away – I was in the US and he was traveling in Europe – he started giving away everything. After Rinpoche had passed away I went back to Delhi, met his former wife and kids and asked what had happened to Rinpoche’s ritual objects. They didn’t have them. I asked, “What happened?” His wife said, “I don’t know. Rinpoche took them on a tour abroad and didn’t bring them back.” Then I asked the people. He had given away everything, different objects to different people. I don’t believe Rinpoche had attachment on that, but I believe it is an indication of how people should act: taking caring of it beforehand. Besides that, if you take care of it while you are alive, you get the benefit of generosity. If you made no decisions and after you die somebody else makes the decision, I doubt whether you get any benefit of generosity.

Continue to live or go. A lot of people have attachment to the body. That is particularly what holds you back. We say, “Well, regarding that illness she would have gone long ago, but she has a strong will to live.” It is true, if you have strong attachment, you will continue to live for a while. It somehow works that way. Of course, when we talk of impermanence we realize we are all dying, but at other times we have the idea of living a long and fruitful life. The decision one has to make is whether being alive will be useful or not. If it is not useful, if it is giving trouble to everybody including yourself, then there is a point to go. As long as it serves its purpose and is useful, you should live. You draw the line like that. So, if it is not going to serve any purpose for you, nor for anybody else, and in addition to that it even gives a tremendous amount of problems to many people concerned, then it is better to die then to live. As a Buddhist practitioner we ought to think, “We don’t end life when we die.” We end this life, but it is a beginning too. Now we are a witness. We had Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, Kyabje Ling Rinpoche and all these great old lamas and now we see their reincarnations, the little ones, running around. Whether we will have that way of controlling or not, we do have a next life and we can definitely look forward to it. Just a year before Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche passed away I saw him in Delhi. I requested Kyabje Rin- poche to live long and he said, “I had a long and good life and now I am old.” I said, “No, you are not old” – he was about eighty – and I gave a lot of reasons. At that time it was reported from Russia that people lived a hundred and twenty-five years, so I said, “People are living a hundred and twenty-five years and that is nothing.” He replied, “Yes, but they are foreigners. I saw a certain old lady yesterday who is younger than me, she looked awful, so I must look more awful than that. And I think her being alive doesn’t serve any purpose except that her family has to carry her all the time.” So the line to draw is whether there is any usefulness in living or not. If you have not completed your own purpose, then you have to live and try to achieve something; even one single extra day can serve the

81 For the full stories see volume II, index entry: stories - death - shirt and index entry: stories - death - butter tea.

86 Lam Rim Teachings purpose. And if it is not, then it is time to withdraw. The physical body will tell you how much you can or cannot do.

The power of experience. The power of experience in life is that you try to turn your mind on the bodhimind all the time. When your mind gets mixed with the bodhimind, when you get used to it because of everyday practice all the time during your living period, at the time of death you will be able to remember it. You got used to it because of the power of experience. Because of that you will be able to remember the bodhimind and you will die while thinking on the bodhimind, while meditating on the bodhimind. It is also recommended at the time of the death to lie down like Buddha died: the right shoulder down, palm of the right hand under the right cheek, legs extended and the left hand resting on top of the legs. That is the recommended way to go. Generally speaking, if you are a practitioner and your level is common with the lower or medium level, at the time of death you should be able to die while taking refuge to Buddha, dharma and sangha. If you are a bodhisattva or a Mahayana practitioner, you should be able to die while meditating on bodhimind. A vajrayana practitioner will have a different way of doing and it is not the time to mention it here. Death of Geshe Chekawa. Some people may say, “Well that may not help me to take a better rebirth,” but that is not true. Geshe Chekawa before he died was praying that he would take rebirth in a hell realm for the benefit of sentient beings, to substitute other sentient beings’ rebirth in there. He had the bodhimind all the time. When he was dying he started having visions of pure lands so he called his attendant, “Make a big offering and say prayers. I was hoping to take rebirth in the lower realms and I am not having visions of pure lands coming up, so my wish is not being fulfilled. Please do some more prayers and pujas, I want to go down there!” That is a clear indication that dying in the nature of the bodhimind is the best way to go. Normally when we have difficulties we yell, “Mum!” In that manner, whenever we have difficulties, we should yell, “Bodhimind!” Build that as a habit. That way at the actual time of death you meditate on the bodhimind and you’ll be able to die within that. As I always told you: the actual death stage is neither virtuous nor non-virtuous; it has to be neutral, because it is too subtle a mind. So what happens is: the mind immediately before death, far less than a second before, has to have the bodhimind influence. Death itself will be the subtle mind. Don’t think about lamas sitting in mediation after death and things like that – these are the bigger things which we cannot do just now. For us death is a very short period, but if the mind immediately before death has it, we should be able to go through with bodhimind.

The antidote power. The antidote here is to have a good purification before you die or at the time of your death. When you know you are going to die, have a very important purification. And in order to make that materialize, generally always doing a little bit of purification is very helpful. At the time of the death, just before dying, purification is very, very important. If you don’t do that, no matter how ready you may be to take rebirth into a pure land, the obstacles and attachments can pull you down. That is why we talked about attachment very strongly earlier. Also obstacles can pull you down. That is why purification is very important. What vajrayana practitioners do. For those of us who are vajrayana practitioners, top priority is to purify the vajrayana vows and commitments at that time. If you die with a pure vajrayana vow, all the buddhas and bodhisattvas guarantee that you will take a great rebirth, that you will not fall down. If a vajrayana practitioner dies with a broken vow, however, no one can help. It is a bad piece of news; that is the danger of vajrayana. So it is very, very important to try to purify your vajrayana vow and bodhisattva vow. Both have to be properly purified and rejuvenated. If you can, if you are allowed, you take self-initiation, or you have somebody else doing it for you and then you try to remain as pure as possible. In the Tibetan practice, when somebody dies, immediately people do self-initiation and try to pray. This serves two purposes: if the person who is dying is still conscious and can think, it will help [him or her to meditate accordingly]. And if the person is not catching anything, the person who is doing the self- initiation will purify that individual. Whatever you pray for or do during that pure period [that comes about by the self-initiation or the purification done by means others doing the self-initiation] is tremendously helped to materialize.

The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 87 The power of praying. The praying here is not that you may be reborn in a proper pure land. The prayer you do here is, “May all non-virtues and sufferings of all sentient beings materialize on me and may it help me to develop the two bodhiminds within me.” That is how you pray. As a bodhisattva one is always happy to take the sufferings of others, so we pray to have the most problems, to have the most difficulties and to be reborn in the hell realm for the benefit of other beings if that can substitute [their rebirth there]. That is the prayer you do. You got the biggest shock, right? As I just told you about the Kadampa lama Chekawa who was hoping to take rebirth in the lower realms but got the signs of rebirth in a pure land. This was always quoted during the lojong teachings. Two reasons: not only the bodhisattvas opt for this, but also it indicates that if at the time of death you die with the bodhimind, it definitely provides you with a rebirth in a pure land. So it serves two purposes. v) The signs of development Combine all the Dharma into one intention. How do you measure your development? You know, some people, when they hear something, can take that immediately into a certain practice level. Any point they find, they can make part of their practice. That is the actual sign. When you get a really good training, then whatever dharma you find, you can use as an antidote against self-cherishing. Often when we think of signs of siddhihood, we look for somebody who is able to fly in the air or so. Don’t try to look that way. The most important sign of development is your delusions reducing, becoming smaller and smaller. If your delusions are not diminishing, then the practice is not really helping.

Don’t show. In the lojong period it is very important that the individual develops. When you really practice, there is no way that you won’t develop, you will definitely develop. But – now it is time for me to emphasize that – the more developed you are, the more humble you have to be! In particular you have to behave well, go along well with society. The more you develop, the more you have to be a sort of society guy. You know what I mean? Although internally your development may be pushing or pulling you like a wild horse and you want to jump, your commitment is to behave like everybody else. Particularly, it is very important not to show any sign of achievement. Whatever development you have, have it; nobody can take it away from you, but showing off is not good. Not only is it not good, it can harm you. Your head can become very big and you may think you are bigger than you really are. This can work against you. So definitely don’t do it. It is very important not to show signs, not to say, “I saw this, I saw that,” not to say, “That bird talked to me.” Not to say, “I had this vision, I had that vision.” Don’t do that. Visions will come; let them come, let them go, pay no attention. Sometimes it can be a vision, sometimes it can be your delusion, or it could be that you are getting mad; everything is possible. So pay no attention. Do not listen to a voice telling you something in your ear; you could go mad. Remember that when we talked about the subject of meditation, we told you, “If your object of concentrated meditation is standing up, quit; if the object starts jumping round, quit; if the object starts talking to you, quit.” Do not pay attention; that is important. If it is a good vision, it will constantly come and get clearer and clearer by itself. Your first duty is to have no hope and no doubt, but just ignore. That is very important: pay no attention. Tsongkhapa had visions, you know. He wanted to see Manjushri, and Manjushri made him go into retreat. But when the actual vision came, Tsongkhapa paid no attention. Thirty-five buddhas were sitting on different mountains, looking and smiling at Tsongkhapa all the time and he just looked round and went into his cave and paid no attention. Finally [Manjushri had to instruct] Lama Umapa to send a messenger all the way from the Kham area to tell him, “Look, pay attention to this!” Until then Tsongkhapa had ignored it. And even then Tsongkhapa checked and cross-checked his vision. His cross-check was asking the most difficult questions. When you are doing a cross-check of difficult questions, you should ask a question that you know the answer to. And if those are answered right, then it is right. But don’t rely on one or two questions, it could be a coincidence. Keep on asking a number of times. When it becomes reliable then you can slowly move in to it. But the first and foremost advice is: ignore! Particularly in the Kadampa tradition, with Atisha, Drom Rinpoche, Tsongkhapa, that was important and also in our period it is.

88 Lam Rim Teachings Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Gomo Rinpoche, all of them are highly developed. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche wouldn’t argue on unimportant matters. If you tried to tell him, “This is orange,” he’d say, “Is that right? Okay.” That is what you have to do. You have to go according to the people, according to society. You go accordingly, because your body is an ordinary human beings’ body, so you behave in that way. But that sort of thing may not yet be a question for us. I don’t know maybe, maybe not. The most important thing is not to show off any development that you get. Do not let people know. Do not make it public. Any development you have, you have to hide. In the Kadampa tradition you have to hide your qualities. You behave like everybody else. Don’t behave like someone superior. Don’t blow your own trumpet. Hide any quality that you have. It is said, If the quality is under the ground, the light will shine in the air. That is how the people will know there is great quality. That is the sign, the measurement. If anybody is blowing his own trumpet, it is a big question how much that person has really developed. You know what I mean? Look to any of those great living teachers. Look at His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He never said, “I am great.” He always says, “I am a simple Buddhist monk.” And I told you, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche never said, “I am great.” Never. And if I would insist on saying, “This is orange” he would say “Oh yes.” He is not stupid, but he won’t argue, because it doesn’t matter. But if you think, “I can beat Kyabje Rin- poche today,” you will never beat him – never! I had that experience. It had something to do with the protector Tsimera82, a Nyingma tradition protector, which is my family protector. There was no way Kyabje Rinpoche had something to do with it and particularly not with the ritual I used to say, the ritual by Nyari Kenchen, a very staunch, orthodox Ny- ingma lama. When talking about that particular protector a thought went through my mind, “Yes, today I can really say something of which Kyabje Rinpoche has no idea.” So I started saying those words, went quicker and quicker and suddenly Kyabje Rinpoche was saying the words too, even before me. It looked as if he was reading them from somewhere. There was really no way you could beat him, no way! Of the two witnesses, rely on the primary one.83 Then how to behave? You should have two witnesses. If you don’t have witnesses, then it will be your word against mine. The primary witness is yourself: you witness your own behavior. When you don’t have a good practice, but you pretend to have it and people tend to believe you, it is not good. Of course, there is nobody who doesn’t have a mantra to say or a deity to meditate, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it in public. Saying, “I have a number of mantras to do, if I don’t do it now, I have no time…” that is exactly what is to be avoided. You be your own witness. Some people are very good in external behavior: they look very smooth, keep on smiling all the time, sit nicely, yet in the mind all sort of funny planning goes on. That is another objection. That should not be there. That is non-virtuous. If you pretend outside to be very smooth, if you have very good external behavior, but you don’t have a good internal development, you are like a fruit that has ripened outside but not inside. If you have ripened externally, but internally you have not, who will know? Nobody else except yourself. So you have to be your own witness. Some people have developed very well internally, and don’t care externally. They really don’t care, just go and do anything, you know. Because they have fully developed internally, whatever they do will probably become a very important benefit for that individual. So they go beyond the limit, go wild. That is like a fruit that is ripe on the inside but is rotting on the outside. That is also not recommended. It is not a non-virtue, but it is recommended not to. So, again, be your own witness. If you ripen, ripen inside and outside both. Then it is a worthy fruit somebody can eat and enjoy, and benefit from. Remember that. Always rely on mental happiness alone.

82 The story is to be found in: Gehlek Rimpoche, Ganden Lha Gyema: The Hundreds of Deities of the Land of Joy. 83 Two witnesses refer to external and internal signs of progress.

The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 89 Then, after this practice you always have to be happy. Lojong practice is always referred to as ‘city of happiness’ or ‘city of joy’. Why? If you have a problem it is great, “The problem is here, that is good, I want to take this problem voluntarily for the benefit of all other sentient beings. I want to suffer from it, so that others don’t have to suffer. I want to suffer from it because all my results of non-virtues will be cleared. May this little problem be able to substitute…” That way you pray and concentrate. It does happen to practitioners actually! We have a tremendous heavy karma and due to our practice a lot of heavy karmas materialize combined together a little bit here and there. That is one of the reasons why many practitioners have a mental or physical problem. Particularly when you do good and important practices, you really have a lot of suffering, a lot of problems. This is all the non-virtuous karma that we have from limitless beginning, which has to be paid. For a person practicing like this, a simple single headache of one morning could probably substitute a birth in the hell realm. The buddhas have stated it, the bodhisattvas have stated it and Tsongkhapa was very heavy on that. So be happy about it. We are collecting the sufferings of all beings on us through the exercise of tong-len on the air, right? Breathing in is taking the sufferings. Now the sufferings are really materializing, so why do you have to be sad about it? Why have a long face? It is a great opportunity. Bo- dhisattvas cry for this sort of opportunity, but don’t get it. We at the beginning level are fortunate to get it, afterwards you won’t get it. It is like in childhood you enjoy life and don’t realize it. The best life you had is in childhood but you didn’t realize it. When you develop the bodhisattva level you don’t get those things, but here we get them! It is great! Enjoy it! Make the best use of it! Don’t show a long face. Receive it with a smile and be very positive about it. And if you get something, like material things, take it, enjoy it, fine, but don’t worry about protecting or multiplying it. Don’t. Be happy, be satisfied with what you have. If you don’t have a coat to wear or don’t know where the next meal is coming from then it is a problem, but you don’t really have to worry about the long term. That makes the difference between dharma practitioners and others. Normally, if we have one hundred dollars we have to invest it and try to make one thousand out of it, turn one thousand into ten thousand, ten into a hundred, a hundred into a million, a million into a billion dollars. There is limitless desire which keeps on pushing and driving us as slaves of material benefit. Dharma practitioners have to cut that. Be happy when you have it and if you don’t get it, it is also alright. You are human beings, you are bodhisattva practitioners, you do have some very important wealth that millionaires don’t have. If you get sick, great, nothing can be better. It is the actual opportunity you have been praying for, that has materialized. If you die, great, you die for dharma’s sake, for the sake of sentient beings. We have been dead so many times, but we always died for our own self-cherishing purpose and so got bad results all the time. Today we’re able to die for the benefit of the dharma and the other sentient beings, great. But if you commit suicide, remember, you are killing a human being and [for vajrayana practitioners] also killing a deity. You can’t do that. But when you die, you die, great, take the opportunity. The death stage is a very beautiful opportunity. Practitioners, keep on practicing. In the vajrayana points it says, “Ultimately all the airs will be collected in the central channel.” The whole purpose of this lifelong practice is to have a deeper concentration and when you have such a state, in which all external connections are totally cut off, you will be able to completely focus on the point, the subject which you have to know analytically before. A lifelong practice can bring such a great opportunity at the death stage. Death itself is a subtle mind. All other consciousnesses are closed, shut down. Only the principle mind is going through. All external interferences are cut off. It is a great opportunity. Those practitioners who know it, can use it. So, if you die it is great. Nothing to be sad about. As bodhisattva practitioners we are not going to cry, “I am not going to see this house or that face tomorrow.” If you are worrying about that, it is a sign that your white seed power is weak. So you have to go back and work on that first. That is why Gomo Rinpoche tore the shirt up84. Give things away, because they can hold you back. Not only will you not be able to go and die, but even at the time of death the opportunity for focusing will be disturbed. Your mind will not go for a hundred percent on what you should focus on. This is the real point where you have to let go. If you don’t, you are stuck. Not only that; you will

84 For the story see chapter XII (volume II).

90 Lam Rim Teachings be damaged, you will destroy yourself, you will waste your opportunity and your whole life. If you let go, you let go at that time. That is what it is. That is why you should be happy! One of the keys to happiness is to be satisfied with whatever you have. That is difficult, but if you are able to be satisfied with whatever you have, then you have the beginning of happiness. If you do not know how to be satisfied, if you see that your neighbor has a Volvo car and you must have a Daimler, you are opening the door of suffering. Be happy; that is the key. Make yourself happy. If you can’t do that, others will make you suffer in various ways. You have the key. Remember we told you earlier, If you are a reasonably good practitioner you have to be able to put the rope on your own horn. If you are able to put the rope on your own horn, nobody can pull you, so you’ll be happy. As long as that rope is in somebody else’s hand, they can pull you right and left, up and down, and you have no control. The key to happiness is in your own hand. To be trained is to possess the five signs of greatness. There are five signs of perfection: 1) Becoming a great sattva or great bodhisattva, a person who cherishes others over self-interest. 2) Becoming one with perfect moral discipline, who avoids all non-virtues to protect him- or herself from the delusions. 3) Becoming a person of great endurance, a person who can take a lot of sufferings, a person who has a tremendous amount of patience and cannot be bothered by the delusions going up and down. A great en- during person is the sign. 4) Becoming a great practitioner, who practices all the time. 5) Becoming a great yogi, who has the great Mahayana practice constantly going on within him- or herself. You are trained when able, even when distracted. This is the ultimate sign of development of this practice. When you are paying attention, then when people make you angry, you don’t get angry, because it is not a surprise. Most of the attacks of the delusions come when you are not paying attention, when you are involved in something else. The example given in good old Tibet is this: if you are a good horse-rider and you are riding around while not paying attention and suddenly the horse jumps, you are not going to fall off because you are a good rider. If you are not a good rider and the horse jumps while you are paying attention you are not going to fall off because were attentive. But if you are not good and you are not paying attention and suddenly the horse jumps, you will be thrown off and it means you are not a good horse-rider. With the delusions it is just like that. So the sign of being trained here is: even when you are inattentive, the delusions cannot attack you, because you recognize them immediately. Anger, jealousy, attachment, all of them will not come and take you by surprise. Even when you are not paying attention, you can sort of be okay. Once they come and take over, it is very difficult to get rid of them. Then you cry, have a long face, play all the games. So it is very important not to get them. In short, instead of looking for self-cherishing, you go the opposite direction of not cherishing the self-interest. That is the sign of perfection. vi) The commitments of mind training Constantly train in the three general points. These are the three principle commitments. 1) Do not ignore even lower commitments. Saying, “I practice the lojong training of mind, so I can ignore the commitments” or “we are Mahayana practitioners and therefore any Hinayana practice is valueless,” is insulting other teachings. That is what this commitment is about: one should not insult other teachings. Do respect any other teachings. They may have shortcomings and they may have benefits. You have to be very open-minded; you can’t say, “Well, I have a higher practice.” You don’t have to practice everything, but saying bad things and pretending that you know something better than that, should be avoided.

The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 91 2) Do not be reckless. After you had these training of the mind practices for some time, you will definitely gain control over being disturbed by spirits. When you are getting that and you sort of ignore the other beings around you [in your activities] and you treat spirits badly, it is against this point.85 3) Do not be biased. Your lojong practice should not be partial or one-sided, like being very patient with the people you care for, but not being able to be patient with your enemies. It has to be equal. Change your attitude, but remain natural. You have to change your coarse mind into a softer, smoother mind and when trying to do that you should see a progress within your mind. Day by day, or month by month you have to see improvement within you. At least year by year you should see your mind becoming softer, kinder, more patient and not getting angry any more. That is what you have to do: make sure you have progress within you. Otherwise you are doing something which has no effect or sometimes even has a reverse effect on the individual. That means something you are doing is wrong. That is why you review your own progress in spiritual development. Check at least year by year: between how I was and how I am now, is there any difference? Have I become better, have I gone worse, or is there no progress? In America there are a lot of problems on this. Number one: you expect to have an immediate effect and if nothing happens you sort of forget. Number two: some people keep on doing something, but year after year goes by and it has no effect on that person at all. That means again there is something wrong with what you are doing. Then you have to make a change. Unless you are able to make a change, you will not be able to move. What is moving automatically is our age, the color of our hair and the wrinkles on our face. But when all this is moving but the progress within ourselves is not moving, it is not good for us. Therefore we have to look back at what we have been doing. Check yourself and consult other people. What you check yourself is your own behavior, your automatic behavior. See whether there is any improvement on not getting angry, not getting impatient, not getting jealous. Sometimes there is improvement on some things but there is a fall-back in others areas. You may have been working in a certain direction, but in an other direction you are pulled down. That is why a yearly review is very important. Our behavior has to be changed by the influence of the bodhimind, renunciation and impermanence. That definitely will change our way of thinking. Particularly death meditations will have their influence.

Hide your qualities. Some people change so much that they start advising other people immediately. They say, “Oh, yah, yah…” in a different voice and with a different look and become much more serious. Others try to act the opposite way and again go too extreme. Because you know a little bit somewhere, or maybe you had some change within you, immediately you start being an adviser. Do not advise anybody unless they ask you and they really mean it! You are nobody’s adviser! Do not take that position. That is very important. The Tibetan Buddhist saying is, Your development may equal that of the Buddha, but your behavior has to be equal to ordinary beings. During our lifetime there was a very powerful senior geshe. He wasn’t really a geshe but he went to the tantric college, learned some rituals and kept on saying them. People would not ask whether he was a living Yamantaka or not; that question was not put. What happened? Once, when this geshe was meditating, his eyebrows started to catch fire. It happened about three times. Then when all the monks were gathering everybody noticed it. Geshe Rinpoche himself didn’t notice, he was meditating. The disciplinary person happened to be one of the rinpoches at that time. He got a little stick, went near him, put it on him saying, “Hey, you; even if your spiritual development is equal to that of a buddha, you have to behave like an ordinary human being. What nonsense is this!” And he got a real heavy beat-up. Moreover, he was thrown out; they kicked him out of the tantric college. People in the US don’t have that and therefore everybody very easily becomes an adviser. If our eyebrows would catch fire, I am sure we would not only be an adviser, but go even beyond that. Therefore you have to remember: no matter how much change you get inside, all your qualities have to be hidden

85 For an example, see Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in our Hands, vol. II, p. 195.

92 Lam Rim Teachings like a burning lamp inside a non-transparent vase. You have to behave just like anybody else. Then your capability and quality will begin to shine and somehow people will notice that gradually. Don’t blow your own trumpet. Don’t be quick to be an adviser. In the Kadam tradition you don’t see this or that lama showing this or that magic power. That is very important. Do not mention [others’] impaired limbs. Do not think about others’ affairs. You don’t mention the faults of other people. Don’t! The moment you are getting more and more development you start to see the faults of other people, but you are not supposed to say that, you are supposed to keep your mouth shut. Remember, everybody has faults, including ourselves. So you shouldn’t speak of any fault of anybody else. Some people may even be purposely showing faults, hide their qualities and say whatever they have to say.

Kyabje Lhatsun Rinpoche. Within my own personal experience Kyabje Lhatsun Rinpoche used to do funny things. I remember his oral transmission. Normally Kyabje Rinpoche was extremely slow, you have no idea. Gomo Rinpoche told me stories about how difficult it was. He told me that one time Kyabje Lhatsun Rinpoche read an oral transmission of the collected works of somebody, about thirty volumes. When he started there were about five hundred people, a couple of incarnated lamas also. But, Gomo Rin- poche told me, he wouldn’t read through, he put in additional things, like he was reading Kalachakra, so it took a couple of months and the number of people was going down and down and down. Finally, only about twenty or thirty people were left. All other incarnated lamas had dropped one by one and Gomo Rinpoche was the only one left, he said. And although he was sick during that period, he constantly went there while two people were helping to lift him and put him there. Almost at the end Kyabje Lhatsun Rin- poche said, “Well, the number has gone down so much, people may find it a little difficult.” Gomo Rin- poche replied, “Rinpoche, it is not a little difficult, it is very difficult.” I just remembered this story. Once Kyabje Lhatsun Rinpoche was in our house in Lhasa and a couple of people had asked the oral transmission of the Abhisamayalankara. The Tibetan root text is about eight or nine pages. It took him twenty-seven days! Believe it or not. At that time I was a little kid, sitting next to Kyabje Rinpoche. He was singing the text very slowly and at the end of the page he fell asleep completely, and nobody could say anything. As I was a little kid they told me to whisper to him and then, “Oh…” and he went on reciting, but starting from the beginning! He kept on doing that. That was actually the day that Bari Dorje Chang died, who was well-known in Tibet for reading oral transmissions. He read probably four or five volumes a day. I never had teachings from him, but a lot of my contemporaries did. He was the nephew of Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. He read so fast, you have no idea. And at the same time he knew what all these young lamas were doing. He used to keep a long stick nearby… That is the reason why I didn’t go to him. I went a few times for an audience. That means you go in and start prostrating near the door. He had these little dogs, that all came to bite you, you know. Any- way, Bari Rinpoche died that day and Kyabje Lhatsun Rinpoche was feeling so bad. He was sitting near the window and saw Bari Rinpoche’s retreat area near the mountain. He looked and said, “Well Bari Dorje Chang passed away, that is not good. If people like me have to read these oral transmissions now, it will take years.” Talking about Kyabje Lhatsun Rinpoche’s reading, I am not talking about a fault. I think he definitely had his reasons to do that. Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, the senior tutor to His Holiness, had oral transmissions from him, too. Kyabje Lhatsun Rinpoche would totally read the opposite direction; if the text said “yes” he would say “no,” instead of “it is” he read “it is not.” And you are not supposed to laugh. When he was to quote, “A person who doesn’t learn and who tries to meditate is like somebody without arms trying to climb the rock,” instead of that he would say the opposite, “The short rock tries to climb on the hands.” He always said that and you were not supposed to laugh. Everybody respected him, so they all warned you. If you were new they would tell you, “Kyabje Rinpoche will say that, don’t laugh.” So when he comes in everyone laughs a little bit behind their hand, and when he indeed says so, they start “prprprp…” But there is a purpose all the time he does that. Normally his teachings and oral transmissions go together, like teaching for one hour and then fifteen minutes of oral transmission. Once there were about a thousand people while he was reading through some

The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 93 medical text. And when he was reciting he just recited two words. The same two words he said for four whole hours! I am not joking. We probably had to get frustrated and get over a lot of non-virtues. And the next day Kyabje Rinpoche started scolding everybody, “You think I don’t know how to read!” Normally during oral transmission we don’t pay attention. Even Kyabje Ling Rinpoche told me: the first day Kyabje Lhatsun Rinpoche started the oral transmission he was reading the opposite direction and some other rinpoches started shouting, “This is wrong” and “That is wrong.” After some time Kyabje Lhatsun Rin- poche picked up the book, started reading a little faster and in between he said, “Two of you came here to criticize me.” So after that they had to keep quiet. Anyway Kyabje Rinpoche had certain purposes… This is an example of how you try not to criticize other people. We ourselves are very good at it; we are very quick to make objections. We like to see the faults of other people. You have to remember one thing: as good as we are in observing other people’s faults; equally the other people are good in observing our faults. Initially, purify whatever affliction is the strongest. Out of all the delusions, which one do you have to work with? Whichever one is most powerful and most harmful to you. Try to handle that one first. Give up all hope of reward. Don’t have hope of getting something. It is very hard to say, “Don’t hope to get a result,” but don’t have expectations, that is what it is. Don’t expect something to happen, because nothing will happen if you keep on waiting. Avoid poisoned food. This doesn’t literally mean poisoned food at all. It means: anything, even virtuous work, even good work, if it is mixed with self-cherishing one shouldn’t do it; it is poisoned. Do not hold a grudge. Do not respond to malicious talk. If other people are treating you badly, call you names and things like that, do not reply likewise. If someone tells you, “You are like a dog” do not tell him, “You are like a pig.” Or if someone hits you [do not] hit back. Do not lie in ambush. This one is important. If somebody did some harm to you, then waiting for the opportunity to repay through various means, saying, “That has been very harmful to me and my family, so I really have to do something,” that is what you have to avoid. We very often have that. We may consider that a good quality for the material world sometimes, but dharma practitioners and particularly lojong practitioners should try to avoid that completely. Forgetting and forgiving is very, very important for us. Don’t try to keep things in mind for years and after some time, whenever the opportunity comes… Also, when somebody is having some difficulty, you giggle a little bit and say, “Well, they may deserve that,” is really not good. Do not strike to the core. Among this: if you came to know somebody else has a big fault, not only are you not to say it, but you should be particularly careful not to insult that individual in public or in groups. Do not put the load of a dzo on an ox. If blame is coming, with every method, with a sort of clever way trying to put the blame on other people – that is what is advised not to do. If an ox is given the load of a dzo86 it cannot carry such a great burden. In the same way we should not pass on a difficult task to someone who is not [capable]. If there is something commonly available, some blames, dirty jobs, don’t make someone else do it. We always sacrifice somebody. That is one of our ‘political’ problems. So don’t use someone else as a scapegoat; that is what this ox business means. Do not aim to win the race.

86 Hybrid between a yak bull and a cow.

94 Lam Rim Teachings Do not pretend that you are going to lose and then at the last minute jump ahead. Do not use perverse means. Don’t be quick to take the credit for something that is done in common. Do not turn a god into a demon. Anything we do, learning, thinking, meditating – whatever you do, if instead of going against self-cherishing it is supporting the self-cherishing or the ego-boosting, then it is known as turning a god into a demon. Do not seek [others’] suffering as a means to your own happiness. In order to make yourself happy, don’t make other persons suffer. So we covered the lojong’s precepts. These are actually advices; the first three are commitments. vii) The advices87 Perform all yogas with the one. Apply the one to all perverse oppressors. Do the two activities, one at the beginning and one at the end. Be patient whichever of the two occurs. Guard the two at the risk of your life. Train in the three difficult ones. Obtain the three principal causes. Cultivate the three without deterioration. Possess the three without separation. Train in purity and impartiality with respect to objects. Cherish all of the encompassing and profound trainings. Meditate constantly on the special cases. Do not look for other conditions. Practice the most important right now. Avoid the distorted understandings. Do not be erratic. Train continuously. Attain liberation with the two, investigation and analysis. Do not boast. Refrain from retaliating. Do not act impetuously. Do not wish for gratitude. Conclusion The cause being my strong admiration, I ignored suffering and a bad reputation and requested these instructions for subduing self-grasping. Now, even when I die, I have no regrets. In short, this path has tremendous qualities and leads to the enlightenment of the buddha stage. All is due to the kindness of the great lineage masters. Without their kindness this would not been here, it would have died out long ago. It would have benefited a number of people, but beyond that it would have died out. It is also due to the kindness of the Chinese. If the Chinese hadn’t kicked us out of Tibet, probably not much would have come out. So it is also because of the kindness of the enemy it happens that way. Therefore it is due to the kindness of all sentient beings that we do have an opportunity to hear and practice this lojong. Also think: if there is no sentient being, on whom are we going to meditate love-compassion? On nobody. So at least we can see and think and meditate love-compassion; the sentient beings have given us the opportunity.

87 Commentary: Gomo Tulku: Becoming a Child of the Buddhas, p. 65-75.

The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 95 Every part of samsara has tremendous sufferings. And to tell you the truth, physical sufferings we Ameri- cans really don’t have. We are wealthy compared with Third-World nations. And we have freedom. But due to the kindness of the sentient beings we have an object to meditate on. You should remember the kindness of sentient beings and try to generate the bodhimind on that. That is the major practice we emphasize.

2) Taking the bodhisattva vow through ritual88 O buddhas, bodhisattvas and gurus, please listen to what I now say from the depths of my heart. Just as all buddhas of the past have developed the thought of enlightenment, true bodhicitta, Then practiced its stages of graded development, following the trainings for all buddhas’ sons, So may I too, for the sake of all beings, develop bodhicitta and follow the trainings Exactly as all bodhisattvas have done.89 Through a ritual you receive the bodhisattva vow. That is taking the action bodhimind by ritual. By receiving the bodhisattva vow I don’t think you become a bodhisattva [straightaway], although in the ritual itself you find something like that. [It says], At this moment my life has become truly fruitful, for, having attained an endowed human body, Today I have developed the true buddha essence – Bodhicitta, and have thus become Buddha’s heir. I think bodhimind is something you develop slowly, gradually, stage-wise. Even though it is called bodhisattva vow, it is not like the type of vow you take when becoming a monk or nun. I think this vow means committing yourself to the way of life of a bodhisattva rather than becoming a bodhisattva. That is my true interpretation. Keep that in mind; that is what it really boils down to.

[ This outline has two parts: ▪ How to acquire the vow if it has not previously been taken. ▪ How to keep your vow from degenerating once it has been taken To keep your vows from degenerating it is important to know what the bodhisattva vows are. There are eighteen root vows and forty-six branch vows.]

88 If you wish to take the bodhisattva vow through ritual, you can request your teacher to give you the vow. When you enter vajrayana, you take the bodhisattva vow as part of the prerequisites. Literature: Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in Our Hands, vol. III, p. 305- 319; Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, p. 709-721; Geshe Thubten Loden, Path to Enlightenment, p. 609- 636. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, The Bodhisattva Vow. The last two also give a commentary on the 18 root and 46 branch vows. 89 Source: Shantideva, Bodhisattvacharyavatara, ch. III, vs. 23-24. Either this or a different text can be used in the ritual.

Avalokiteshvara – embodiment of compassion

XXIII THE FIRST FOUR PARAMITAS: GENEROSITY, MORALITY, PATIENCE, DILIGENCE

Overview of Lamrim I: possible weak spots Do kindly generate a pure motivation: For the benefit of all sentient beings I would like to achieve the ultimate stage of buddhahood. For this purpose I would like to listen, discuss, think, analyze, meditate and develop the complete stage of buddhahood. The purpose of our study as dharma practitioners is to benefit all sentient beings. To be able to benefit all other sentient beings, it is important to benefit ourselves first. If we do not benefit ourselves, there is no way we can benefit others. As long as our practice has not benefited ourselves, it will be ineffective to others. As Atisha made very clear, Until we are able to tame our own wild-elephant mind, there is no way we’ll be able to make even an attempt to deal with others’ wild-elephant minds. Therefore it is very important to tame our own wild elephant first. Where and how can we tame it? There is no other or better way than the one that has come through the Lamrim teaching tradition. At least I don’t know of any other. We are very fortunate to be able to connect with such great teachings, that are based on the experience shared by Buddha, that have constantly been practiced by and benefited the great Indian masters and the Tibetan teachers throughout the past two thousand five hundred years and that still continue to be a living tradition today. However, external opportunity and fortunate incidents are not enough. When fortune and opportunity are there and you don’t make the connection, there will be no effect on the wild elephant at all. The only purpose of the dharma is to benefit. The only way to let it be beneficial is to practice. If you are scared of practicing, then you might as well not make the attempt, because there is no point. It is not easy to make the attempt, it is hard and difficult and it is expensive time-wise, but to make it worthwhile you have to do it. If you are afraid of practicing, you might as well not even touch it and be a good yuppie. Then you are better off; at least you don’t waste your time, energy and money and you have fun. If we do make an attempt, yet not a full attempt to practice dharma, it might not be worth it.

Guru-devotional practice. To make it worthwhile, what do you have to do? It starts with the root of all development, the guru-devotional practice. If you don’t have the root, where do you hope to get the tree? If there is no tree, what hope do you have of branches and flowers? And when there are no branches and flowers, how are you hoping to get any fruit? No way. That is why the guru-devotional practice is called the root of all development. Even if you have a good root, if you don’t have a strong tree-trunk, there is no solidity. Some trees produce a lot of berries and fruits and become so heavy that the tree itself breaks. Then neither is the fruit going to ripe, nor is the tree going to survive. So you need a solid tree-trunk. In order to get that, it is necessary that your practice is done with great enthusiasm. You have to be committed to it. If you are trapped in like, “I committed that and if I don’t do it something bad will happen, 98 Lam Rim Teachings

I don’t want to do it, I don’t have the energy nor the time, I have to fulfill my social, family, economical and job obligations…,” when you have these type of problems, the tree trunk is going to be very weak. Even if you do get some fruits, probably the tree-trunk will break and the only useful thing you are left with is the unripe fruit with which you can make some sour pickles. So these things should be avoided.

Precious human life. In order to avoid that or if you have those problems, what do you have to do? The problem probably is that we have not been able to establish a good understanding of and a thorough influence on the mind regarding embracing the human life, the importance of it and that it is difficult to find. As long as we have not established that properly in our mind, our priority is shaky. And with a shaky priority these problems come. So when we have these, we have to go back and review and focus on the points again. We have to appreciate our life now and we should be very grateful to our previous lives for giving us this great opportunity. At the same time we should also remind our present dharma practitioner, “Please, don’t let me down in my future lives.”

Death and thereafter. If you have problems of over-attachment to luxury or companions, those rise because we have not really understood impermanence, death and the more intensive sufferings, in the lower realms as well as on the human level at different parts in the world. When you don’t have a strong recognition of suffering, death and impermanence, these problems arise. And vice versa: when these problems arise, you have to look through this window carefully.

Refuge. The basic foundation of taking refuge is of course the anxiety of what happens after death. Will I be able to obtain a better future life or is there a possibility of falling into the undesirable states of life, whether the lower realms full of misery and sufferings as described, or even at the human realm: to be born as a baby in Ethiopia where disease is rampant or in this country as a baby affected by the drugs that the mother took. The anxiety of a possible rebirth in that manner should be the cause for taking refuge. Refuge should have a basic cause. If we don’t have anxiety, seeking the object of refuge becomes artificial, not from the bottom of the heart. You may do it because somebody else is doing it or you are told to do it, but it doesn’t become real. It becomes a fashion, because there is no anxiety. Again, the fault lies in that you have not seen the sufferings. With anxiety you should take refuge.

Karma. Say we have the root of development, a strong base established. If, however, we cannot keep our vows and commitments, particularly the commitment of avoiding non-virtues and developing virtues as much as possible, especially avoiding the basic ten non-virtues and thus automatically building the basic ten virtues – if we have a problem with that then that is because we do not have a proper understanding of the basic karmic system. The problems come from not dealing with the four karmic characteristics that karma is definite, fast-growing, that one doesn’t meet with a result one did not create, and that once you created karma it is unavoidable. If you meditate carefully and you let your elephant mind soak a little bit in those basic characteristics, then the difficulty of keeping the commitments is supposed to be overcome and will be overcome.

Morality. When we talk about morality, we are not talking about who is having sex with whom, we are talking about the basic vows and commitments that we take. We take refuge to Buddha, dharma and sangha, so we have commitments on that; we take the bodhisattva vows, so we have commitments on that; we take Va- jrayana vows and we have commitments on that. The basic vajrayana commitment is the vows. Taking vows is not a joke. When we take refuge to Buddha, dharma and sangha, in the presence of Buddha, dharma and sangha we say, “I take refuge to you, Buddha, dharma and sangha, until I become enlightened.” When we take the vow we say, in the presence of Buddha, dharma and sangha, “Okay, I am going to help all sentient beings, I’ll be a kind person, I’m going to be very compassionate, I’m going to help them, I am going to do this, I am going to do that”; that is the sort of commitment we take. When we say, “I have my commitments to my late father, I have my commitments to my late mother, I am committed to my friends so I’ll do this,” how much we honor that. If we then ignore the commitments we made in the presence of Buddha, dharma and sangha; it is a little bit surprising. Really, it is that serious if you think about it carefully.

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 99

So when we take refuge to Buddha, dharma and sangha, we say, “I will avoid non-virtues, I won’t kill human beings, I won’t do this, I won’t do that…” the ten basic non-virtues. That is the commitment. It is not saying, “Namo Buddha, namo Dharma, namo Sangha” or whatever words you use; that is not the commitment. A lot of people say, “I committed myself to say the refuge prayer a hundred times a day.” That is a good commitment, but the main point is, “I shall not kill, I shall not lie, I shall not steal, I shall not manipulate, I shall not be mean.” These are the real commitments. And when you can’t keep that, it is a problem. The bodhisattva vows are taken in the presence of the Lama-Buddha-Bodhisattva. I do not try to look down on commitments made to our late friends and so on, but you see a vast, huge difference in the base on which you committed. And then, many of us have the vajrayana commitments. If we avoid the downfalls and can honor those commitments, then even if you are unable to meditate much, if you can keep your commitments pure, by that itself you can reach far, very far. Look into the Foundation of All Perfections which you say almost daily now. It says, The foundation of what then produces the two powers, is the guarding of the pledges and commitments of tantric initiation. Bless me that I may have uncontrived knowledge of this And guard my discipline as I do my very life. All these siddhis, whether you are going to gain them or not, depend on the commitments. Don’t think of commitments like saying sadhanas or mantras. The vows are the basic, very big thing. And when you have a problem with that, it is a clear sign that you have a problem with karma, that you have not understood the basic karmic functioning, you have not meditated enough on the karmic functioning, it has not soaked in your mind. That is the bottom line: when your meditation on karma has not affected your basic mind, your elephant is still wild. The [vows] are the most important foundations of our practice.

Faults of samsara. Now a step a little beyond that: to see the faults of samsara. If you don’t properly see the faults of samsara, there is no way you can see the benefits of nirvana. We say nirvana is great, because it says so in the books, it was said by every sage that has gone through and every lama that came by. All said that samsara is bad and nirvana is good, so it must be so. That became our basic understanding. Yet we don’t see the problems of samsara. We are over-spoiled by the luxuries of the material world. Buddha emphasized that out of the six realms there is no hope of gaining basic liberation for beings in the gods’ realms, because they are spoiled, they are living too luxurious a life, there is no suffering. When you are spoiled, you don’t see the problems of samsara. Although we may have a comfortable life, the material comfort we can give ourselves concerns the physical body only. We cannot connect much with our mind, so we have physical comfort, but we get mental sufferings, mental problems. We are not in touch with our mind, we don’t know how to make it comfortable, how to put a soft cushion under it. So we get tortured by our emotional problems. On the one hand that is difficult, on the other hand it is very nice to have them. If we wouldn’t have them, we would forget completely. If we would live physically very luxuriously and mentally very peacefully, we’d like to be locked in there, like in a sort of cocoon. A soft, cozy and warm spot, especially with soft around our mind, tranquillized. Then we’re not going to look for nirvana, we’re going to look for soft cushions. That is true, because what we want is happiness and peace. Naturally we look for happiness, because we don’t have it. Ever since we’ve existed we have been longing for happiness. Even today we are willing to do anything to gain a little physical, mental or emotional relief. That is our priority. Look at the people in the street, the drug addicts. We sort of look down on them, but they are equally human beings like you and me. Whether you sit in the top of the Sears Tower in your three-piece suit or you are someone filthy down in the street looking for drugs to borrow or to steal at the risk of getting shot at, it is all because we are seeking happiness, simply relief. You sit in the Tower because you want to pay your bills and this is the sort of way you want to live; the other person down in the street acts in the same way, is looking for the same thing. But because of society he gets into trouble, the police will come and chase him and put him in jail. On the other hand, the

100 Lam Rim Teachings politicians sitting there and stealing people’s money are not going to be caught by the police. That is exactly what human life is, the human melodrama. We will only know nirvana is great if we know samsara is bad. Every point where we suffer – physically, mentally, emotionally – is samsara. When you recognize it, you find nirvana doesn’t have those. That is why nirvana is good. Therefore it is very important to recognize the suffering. As long as we are not totally free of it, we have to recognize it, we have to remember it all the time, because once it catches you, it can catch you very badly.

Bodhimind. Once you have that, the next weakness will probably be on the compassion: every effort we take being for the benefit of all others. If that is weak, we are going to deprive ourselves of the root of the Mahayana practice. Mahayana doesn’t care for selfish interest, it cares for all sentient beings. The basic principle of Theravada is self-interest. That is why an individual needs to practice the Theravadin basic principle of self-serving and in addition to that the Mahayana basic principle of serving others. Serving others, caring for others does not mean ignoring yourself. It becomes most important to care for yourself too, because if you are not there who is going to serve? That is an important point. To make a strong commitment for helping other sentient beings, a very basic Mahayana foundation is the strong love-compassion to all sentient beings. So it becomes necessary to practice the mind of the bodhisattva, the bodhimind, trying to develop it through the prayer form and through following carefully the vows of the bodhisattva.

Space-like openness. The next possible weakness is this: if you have strong delusions of wrong perceiving, ignorance-based dualistic view, you have to look to the point where the object of the wrong perceiving can be and should be destroyed. When you totally destroyed the object of the wrong perceiving, you will begin to develop the space-like openness, recognizing that every functioning is almost like a magician’s trick. It is like recognizing the dream as a dream, not as reality. When we go through a dream we are functioning as though it is really happening; we participate fully in it till we wake up. [Afterwards] we know it is a dream. Recognizing that every functioning is just like that, is what we call space-like openness. I don’t want to call it emptiness; technically they call it emptiness, but with the word emptiness you immediately get some different idea. It is openness, complete space-like openness. In traditional Tibetan vocabulary nam mkha’ ta bü tong pa nyid – emptiness like space. That has to be developed. In order to develop that sort of open space-like mind, it is necessary to destroy the basic object of looking at everything as though it is a real [self-existent] thing. It is important to be able to destroy that.

Concentration. In order to be able to destroy that, it is important to find it. For that you need a strong, stable mind. If you don’t have that, you are not going to find it, because you’ll lose your concentration. Until you get perfectly used to it, you do need concentration. When you don’t have concentration, you can’t focus. And when you can’t focus you are not going to achieve anything, no matter how much time you put in. For us, who are seeking the ultimate true stage, the stage of buddhahood, the concentrated meditation is used to gain a stable mind. Using the words of the Tibetan symbolism: your wild elephant has to become a trained elephant. If it is trained it can do a lot of things; it can go and find the object to be destroyed.

That is the basic practice. That is what basic Tibetan Buddhism is, what really basic sutra Lamrim is. How do you do this? You can do all points simultaneously in a brief practice like the Foundation of All Perfec- tions. If you meditate it every day, I tell you, you will get quite far.

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 101 iii. How to train after developing the bodhimind90 – the paramitas or perfections Generating the bodhimind alone is not enough. That is almost like, “Yes, I’ll do it, I’ll do it.” Although “I will do it” is a good thought, unless you actually do it, it doesn’t have any effect. For a bodhisattva every activity becomes practice, because you are totally committed to the benefit of all sentient beings. All your body, mind and speech activities, twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year committed to the benefit of all sentient beings, becomes practice. The practice is not some separate thing; you do not cut some hours out of the twenty-four and say, “This is my practice.” Every activity of a bodhisattva is part of the six ‘gone beyonds’91. Trying to go beyond is the activity of the bodhisattva, the completion of gone beyond is the stage of the buddha. To get there, there are ten paramitas: six to benefit yourself, four to benefit others. It says: In order to ripen our own mind the six activities are there. In order to help ripen others’ minds four are there92. Among the activities of a bodhisattva there are none which do not become part of either one of the six paramitas. You are not going to find any positive activity which is not a part of these six or a negative activity which is not the opposite of it.

1) How to ripen one’s own mind by training in the six perfections [Skt. paramitas] a) General training in the first four paramitas i) Paramita of generosity93 [Skt. dana] (1) What generosity is The perfection of generosity is the magic gem to fulfill the hopes of the world, The best tool with which to cut the knot of miserliness constricting the heart, The Bodhisattva deed giving birth to the unfailing powers of the spirit, The foundation of beneficial reputation. Knowing this, the wise rely upon the practice Of giving their body, possessions and merits. I, a yogi, did that myself; You, O liberation seeker, should do likewise. Je Tsongkhapa, Song of the Stages in Spiritual Practice [Lamrim Dudon], vs. 15 Basically there are three kinds of generosity. These are not clear-cut divisions, but a synopsis.

(2) Classification: three types of generosity (a) Generosity of protecting from fear Fear is one of our biggest obstacles, so one way of generosity is to protect from fear. In the Tara practice94 there are eight different protections against eight different fears. All of them are part of this first type of generosity, protecting the individual from the object they are afraid of.

(b) Generosity of dharma As this is taught from the Buddhist point of view, we use the word dharma. It is giving the path, sharing

90 Basic literature: Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life; Gehlek Rimpoche, Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [is presently still being taught; new chapters are still coming out]; Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Meaningful to Behold; Tsongkhapa, The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Lamrim Chenmo, vol. II, p. 85-231; Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in Our Hands, vol. III, p. 207-230; Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, p. 626-646; Dagyab Rinpoche, Achtsamkeit und Versenkung, p. 282-300; Geshe Thubten Loden, Path to Enlightenment, p. 637-761; Geshe Sonam Rinchen, The Six Perfections. Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, Tibetan Tradition of Mental Development, p. 130-144; Geshe Rabten, Treasury of Dharma, ch. 8; Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Joyful Path of Good Fortune, p. 453-482;Chögyam Trungpa, Meditation in Action; Gampopa, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, p. 148-186; Jeffrey Hopkins, Compassion in Tibetan Buddhism, p. 182-230. Also see Chandrakirti’s verses on the first five paramitas in the Appendices to this work. 91 Paramitas, perfections, or transcendences. 92 The four are also called the ‘four means of positively influencing others’. 93 Other translations of the perfection of generosity: giving, liberality. 94 Gehlek Rimpoche, The Practice of the Triumphant Ma has a chapter on the eight fears.

102 Lam Rim Teachings the knowledge, teaching, discussing, including sharing information by means of books, tapes and so on with a sincere mind of helping rather than a mind of showing off or intimidating others.

(c) Generosity of fulfilling the needs of beings This is like giving food to the hungry, shelter to the homeless, clothes to the naked, medicine to the sick. If you try to help dying persons to overcome their fear of death, help them to face death properly with dharma benefit (which is far better than anything else), you’re probably doing one of the greatest generosities. There are a thousand different ways to help people die with dignity. You can be very helpful at that stage, provided the person is receptive, even if they are not receptive to Buddhism. The point is to try to connect someone with his virtues, try to connect the person with the enlightened beings, try to establish a mind a little more acquainted with virtue. The most important point at the time of the death is to let the mind be a path of virtue. Those are the different kinds of generosity. You don’t have to think, “Generosity is giving money and I don’t have money to give so what should I do?” You can give service. Many people have donated their time and energy for Jewel Heart; that is generosity. As a matter of fact it is one of the better generosities, because in generosity also the object to whom you give is counted. The tradition says that if it is giving to your spiritual master or the supreme field of merit and the as- sembly of the sangha, your yield will be a hundred thousand times more than when you have ordinary beings as your object. Sorry, that may sound like lama propaganda, but it has been said since two thousand five hundred years. Sometimes it is not very good. Look at the Chinese community: they are willing to do anything for the lamas and monks, but completely overlook the social service. Maybe that is the disadvantage attached to this. As I mentioned, time that you put in is generosity, which is very profitable for your own future life. The profit not only comes in the form of a human life, but also in the form of wealth. So those who are putting in and those who are going to put in a lot of time, do a generosity activity. That is a bodhisattva act, that is your practice, that is dharma service, that is service to yourself and service to other beings, whether you know them or not. Even offering a glass of water is generosity.

Six paramitas in every paramita Each perfection should have the quality of all the perfections. Now under generosity all the six paramitas are covered. Generosity of generosity. That is the three types we mentioned: protecting from fear, giving dharma, giving material help. Morality of generosity. We observe generosity because it is part of our religious practice. I committed to do so and I am honoring my commitments; that is the morality part. Patience of generosity. Then why am I doing that? For the purpose of getting enlightened, of obtaining the buddha stage for the benefit of all sentient beings. That buddha stage is very far away; when I look at it, it is a hell of a far-away distance, so I have to be patient. Not only that: while I am practicing generosity, I’ll definitely have to face a lot of obstacles, like being discouraged, because of difficulties within the individual, because of discouragement from the others, or because of conditions. So patience is needed. Diligence of generosity. The activity of generosity needs to be developed more and more, so you need enthusiasm, otherwise you may generate it only once and then finish. Not only do you need enthusiasm, it should be continuously there like a good water source, which never stops running. If the source of a river is good, it will continue; if the river source is bad it will be a huge river during the rainy season and when the dry season comes it dries out completely. When you find a huge powerful stream coming from time to time only, there is a danger of stopping; that is not good. With good diligence it becomes continuous. Concentration of generosity. It says, “The pure Mahayana practice of generosity is single-pointedly concentrated.” Single-pointedness is the Mahayana quality. At the time of the motivation, during the action as well as at the conclusion the Mahayana principle is total dedication for others’ benefit rather than for the narrow selfish interest. Wisdom of generosity. To whom you give, what you give, who the giver is, and also the giving itself,

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 103 is all like a magician’s trick, nothing else. That is the wisdom part of this paramita of generosity.95 Each one of these paramitas has six within itself. ii) Paramita of morality [Skt. sila] (1) What morality is Ethical discipline is water to clean away the stains of evil, Moonlight to cool the heat of delusion, Radiance towering like a mountain in the midst of sentient beings, The force peacefully to unite mankind. Knowing this, spiritual practitioners guard it As they would their very eyes. I, a yogi, did that myself; You, O liberation seeker, should do likewise. Je Tsongkhapa, Song of the Stages in Spiritual Practice [Lamrim Dudon], vs. 16 We go into the ethics on the basis of Je Tsongkhapa’s Lamrim Chungba96. The Lamrim Chenmo is almost the same here. What is what we call ethics, or sila or morality? I don’t know what the language gives behind the words ethics or morality, so let me use the word sila. What is it? It is the mind which would like to give up or abandon actions that harm others; give them up totally from the basis. What is a vow? It is nothing but some kind of shield which protects the individual from falling into committing unwanted actions, which is gained by totally giving up the activities which harm others. Whenever we talk about morality, moral conduct, ethics, honoring commitments and vows, we are talking about this.

Among the different categories of sila of course the most important thing is protecting your commitments. Vows and commitments are the most important. When a vow of protecting your own moral principles develops further and further, ultimately its completion reaches the level of the buddha stage. The thought “I would like to abandon harming sentient beings completely” has to be developed and become perfect in that individual, rather than making all sentient beings not to be harmed. You cannot make every sentient being not to be harmed; you cannot. It begins with the individual, “I have to make myself perfect so that I will not harm others.” It does not begin with “if somebody is going to harm beings, I must bombard him first.” I don’t think that is sila. Sila begins within the individual. To proof that, the Bodhisattvacharyavatara says, Nowhere has the killing Of fish and other creatures been eradicated; For the attainment of (merely) the thought to forsake (such things) Is explained as the perfection of moral discipline. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 5, vs. 11 So sila begins within the individual with obtaining the abandoning mind. Again, do not misunderstand ‘with obtaining’. If you once generate, “I am going to abandon harming others” it doesn’t mean you obtained that mind. Obtaining means: you go on and on, keep with that, keep with that until it becomes your quality. No matter what happens to you, you are not going to harm somebody else and it becomes that quality within you.

95 The Large Sutra on Perfect Wisdom [Prajnaparamita], transl. E. Conzé, p. 198-199: I-10-8b: “The supramundane perfection of giving. The supramundane perfection of giving (…) consists of the threefold purity. What is the threefold purity? Here a bodhisattva gives a gift, and he does not apprehend a self, a recipient or a gift; also no reward of his giving. He surrenders that gift to all beings, but does not apprehend those beings, or himself either. And, although he dedicates that gift to the supreme enlightenment, he does not apprehend any enlightenment. This is called the supramundane perfection of giving and it is called ‘supramundane’ because one swerves away from the world, departs from it, passes beyond it. In the same way should the difference between the worldly and the supramundane perfections of morality, patience, vigour, and concentration be understood.” Also see Chandrakirti, A Guide to the Middle Way, vs. 16, 26, 37. Translation in the Appendices to this work. 96 Je Tsongkhapa’s medium Lamrim [Tib. Lamrim Chungba]. Unless mentioned otherwise, all quotes of Tsongkhapa in this chapter are from the Lamrim Chungba.

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(2) Classification: three types of morality (a) Morality or commitment of protecting your vows When we say we commit ourselves to protecting our own vows, what are we talking about? Take the ten non-virtues. When we recognize the ten non-virtues, we build up a mind which will probably protect us from committing all these ten or either one of them. Committing to protect yourself from committing either one of those, is the example of protecting a vow.

Benefit of a vow. If you want to protect yourself, e.g. from killing, you do not have the sila of not-killing just by not killing. When you have the opportunity and circumstances to kill and you remember your vow and you are not going to kill, then it becomes the sila of not-killing. That is the benefit of the vow. The vow has another benefit. When you take a vow, e.g., “From now on I shall not kill” and you sit idle not killing, you are also building the sila of protecting yourself from the killing because of the vow. Vice versa, if you kill, not only do you have the non-virtue of killing but you also have the non-virtue of having broken your commitment. So it works both ways.

Lay people, lay bodhisattvas, don’t have to protect the monk’s vows: the pratimoksha or self-liberation vows [although there is a similarity with the vows we take]. We lay people can take the bodhisattva vows and the vajrayana vows. So I might as well mention something about it.97 The vows of the monks and nuns are divided into two categories. One category is: non-virtuous by nature. The other category: not non-virtuous by nature but by the rules of the Buddha. Buddha had such an interesting way of handling life. In the beginning Buddha never said, “You can’t do this; you can do that.” A number of those vows came up because of incidents. People said, “I did this and so and so has been doing that, is that the right or the wrong thing to do?” Buddha would then say, “Oh, that falls under that category, you can’t do that. And this falls under this category and you can do this.” That is how all these vows came about. So, some of them are non-virtuous by nature, some of them are not non-virtuous by nature, but for obvious reasons of time and conditions became disallowed. For example, monks are not supposed to eat after mid-day. Eating after mid-day is not a non-virtue, but they are not supposed to do so, because they’ll be fat and fall asleep. This vow was made because at Buddha’s time there was a complaint about Buddhist followers being fat and sleepy. Buddha considered it a genuine complaint and to avoid that criticism he said, “Let us say bikshus can’t eat in the afternoon; they’ll be less sleepy.” So for a monk eating in the afternoon is quite a big broken vow, a category-three one, even more than killing an insect, which falls in category four. So these fall under: by rule alone it is not allowed. All of these are not for lay people. For them that question doesn’t rise. But the vows of which is said that are non-virtuous by nature, are also to be prevented by lay bodhisattvas.

(b) Morality or commitment of developing yourself Now the second one is to develop yourself. When the six paramitas or any virtue is within you, be happy about it and try to develop that. If it is not within you, try to gain it. Committing to developing oneself is easy to say, but difficult to do.

(c) Morality or commitment of helping others The third one is the commitment to helping others. That is committing oneself to help all other sentient beings not to have non-virtues. You don’t have to help everybody just because they need help, or just because they asked you to do so. You have to help them if and because it will really help them. You have to be able to judge.

In order to ‘go beyond’ we have to have pure sila within us. How do we gain it? We can only gain it if we can practice right and we can only practice right if we can protect ourselves properly. We can only protect ourselves properly if we have a strong desire to do so. If we don’t have a strong desire to protect our vows,

97 Also see chapter XII (volume II), index entry: vows.

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 105 we you are not going to protect them, because there is no dharma police, no dharma court and no dharma punishment. Unfortunately the court only comes after death and the punishment only comes in the next life so we don’t see it. So the mind of wishing to protect has to be developed in us. It is swimming against the current, because with sila the habitual patterns are changing. The true sila is a better habit. We always have the wrong habit, and our wrong habits are much stronger than our right ones. For us it is much easier to get a fly swat and kill the fly than to get a glass and try to catch it so we can remove it from our territory. Chang- ing that habit of hitting into saving a life is difficult. This is just one example. Each and every single thing we think, we act, has its plus and minus points. That is why we have to be mindful. But no matter how mindful one might be, unless we become a buddha, we will never be able to be fully mindful on every single point. So, the easiest way is if doing it becomes habitual. A quality of the buddha is said to be: effortlessly helping others, effortlessly doing this and that. That follows from habitual patterns, things being turned into a habit. For me it is very difficult to have a walk in the morning. I try to make that part of my habit but somehow I can’t do it. If it becomes a habit then you have to do it, because if you don’t, you feel uncomfortable. If you are an alcoholic and you don’t get alcohol you feel very uneasy, you get all these nervous tickles. Once you can change that habit, you don’t have those problems any more and you even have the sensation that you don’t like it. With virtues and non-virtues, positive and negative it is similar. The best way is to change the habit, otherwise every single damned thing has to be forced. The major commitments [at this point] are the bodhisattva commitments. In order to develop a perfect sila, try to make them into a habitual pattern.

(3) How to develop morality within the individual (a) Reflecting on the disadvantages of not having pure morality If you do not have a proper sila you will not be able to complete your own purpose, so the question of helping others does not even rise. Impure sila weakens the completion of your own purpose. And when you cannot help yourself, it is impossible to help others. It is important to recognize what disadvantages and what advantages you have, so, as we are all intelligent people, you can make your own choice. When you make your own choice, it becomes much stronger and enthusiastic then when you are told what to do.

(b) Reflecting on the benefits of having pure morality If you have a good, proper sila – perfect may be difficult – it helps you tremendously to develop, to go through the path. It helps to develop equanimity. It helps to make yourself faultless. The ornament of sila is considered one of the best ornaments. Everybody will like and love you. The person with a perfect sila shines out even among ordinary human beings. Sila makes your development going constantly. It also helps to develop compassion. It makes you equal to those great bodhisattvas. If you have sila, it automatically helps you to cut all the delusions and even to get rid of the seed of the delusions, so you become a really great wisdom person. This is such an ornament; no matter whoever wears it, young or old, lay or monk, it suits and helps; it brings respect and a good name throughout. It is also a protection shield. Like the shade of the tree protects you from sun and heat, this is the shade or shield that protects you from the faults of the delusions and non-virtuous actions.

Even though we have mentioned that there are three different types, the most important sila is protecting your own vows. Not only do you have to protect your vows during the session but in particular between the sessions. Particularly when you are out there dealing with everybody, it is the period in which you need it most, rather than when you are sitting inside. Here in the Lamrim Chungba it says, For the bodhisattvas the first, most important thing is to protect their vows and to avoid doing anything against their vows. Once you are able to do that, almost everything will follow very easily. If you break the vow, you lose the foundation on which the bodhisattva functions.

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So protecting your vows is most important. If you don’t protect your vows, both other silas may not be able to function very well within you. Out of protecting your vows, protecting yourself from the ten non- virtues is the fundamental basis. Now the conclusion. You cannot protect your vow perfectly. Nobody can. Non-virtues will come, even with a buddha living as a human being. But then, by getting non-virtues, did I blow it? No. You did not. Remember how a baby falls and falls all the time, but eventually walks. One more important thing: the mind of protecting the vows should not be lost under any circum- stance. “I don’t care, I am going to tear it off now” is a very strong cut. As long as you have the desire to protect your vows you do your best. Non-virtues will come; you can’t help it. Even Atisha, when he was riding a horse, would all of a sudden say, “Stop, stop, stop!” and get off the horse to do a purification. At- isha had the habitual pattern of immediately purifying any non-virtue that came up. We don’t, but we can at least purify it every evening or at the end of the week, or at the recommended purification days.

The recommended days for purification are the first quarter, the full-moon day and the new-moon day plus the fourth month of the lunar calendar, which is recommend, because birth, death and enlightenment of the Buddha are celebrated on the full-moon day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar. That is called We- sach day. Wesach day is counted differently by Mahayanin and the Theravadins. There is some kind of calendar confusion. Worldwide the theravadin wesach is celebrated a month earlier. Enlightenment, death and birth of the Buddha on one day I don’t think is [historically] correct. It is 2500 years ago. However, for purification and all this it works for the individual, because enlightened ones have their own prayer, their own action. They dedicated tremendous virtues for that purpose, so it benefits, it works. Whether it actually happened on that day or not – who really knows? Whether you follow the Theravadin wesach day or the Mahayana wesach day is fine, doesn’t matter. It is very similar to the orthodox Christians and the majority of Christians having a different Christmas day. These are the general days to purify. For individuals, proper days of purification are: the day that you took refuge, the day that you entered into the mandala and the day of the death anniversary of your own master, or if he is alive his day of birth. All these are individually more important than the general days, because of the individual connection. As we follow the Tsongkhapa tradition, we like to make the death anniversary of Tsongkhapa a Jewel Heart day, so that everybody can pay a little attention. It is the 25th of the tenth month of the lunar calendar. Maybe we should do something with all our chapters, on a Saturday or Sunday around that day. You can also do something around His Holiness’ birthday. His birthday was according to the lunar calendar, but that then falls on different dates every year, so now it was fixed on July 6th. All that will work. Those are the recommended dates for purification an individual should look into. Then there is the last day of the year: the day before Losar [Tibetan New Year]. It is the scapegoat day, the day of exorcism, which is a new-moon day anyway.

In short, the practice of sila here is to try to develop a mind in the individual, which says as often as possible, “I would like to protect all my vows.” Even if you fail to completely protect [yourself from negativities], having the mind of protecting all the time is the practice of sila. Tsongkhapa made it very clear here and I’d like to quote him here, because it is very relaxing: In short, whatever an individual has committed him/herself to, for any vow etc. you may have, developing a mind of protecting it, is the practice of sila. Within the sila you also have the activities of all six paramitas: Remaining oneself in the sila and helping others to remain in the sila, is the generosity [of morality]. And the rest of the five are like the previous.

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 107

Overview of Lamrim II: towards Vajrayana Do kindly generate a good motivation. Required here is a Mahayana motivation, which is generating the bodhimind. So, whatever understanding of the bodhimind you have, pleased generate. Actually the word ‘mind’ is ‘heart’. In Sanskrit the mind is translated as citta = heart; bodhi is ‘of the buddha’s stage’, so it is a precious stage. For ‘precious’ the example of a jewel is given and in that way Jewel Heart also is bodhicitta. Whether the name-givers had that in mind originally or not, it works that way too. With whatever understanding of the bodhimind you have, think, For the benefit of all sentient beings I would like to obtain the ultimate stage of buddhahood. For that I would like to listen to this precious dharma, discuss it, learn it, think about it, meditate, gain perfection on it and then benefit all other beings. Living dharma. The dharma we are going to talk about today is the path of the Lamrim, which is the essence of the practice of all enlightened beings, the path through which they have gone. It is the path which was opened by Buddha Sakyamuni, based on his own experience, clarified by the great maha-pandits such as Nagarjuna and Asanga, the heart practice of the great Tsongkhapa and Atisha, and its continuations is a living practice up to today. How do you listen to the teaching? The most important, practical way is to take it as a living teaching, a living dharma. The way you make it living for you, is – as we always say – first you pick up the information, learn, read, take notes. Then don’t leave it as bare information, but take your understanding out of it, check it with people, check it with yourself, and then condense it into a small little point and then meditate on that. Then it will automatically become part of your life. The purpose of meditation here is not to get some kind of tranquility in the mind nor to get some power to fly through the air. It is to influence your mind and when that happens, i.e. when it has an inner effect, your outer behavior will be manifested by it, so your outer behavior will change. And when the outer behavior changes, you recognize that the inner effects have taken place. When there is no change in the outer behavior, then there is surely no inner effect with the individual at all. Whatever the development within the individual is – high or small, weak or strong – it will have some kind of sign manifesting out- wardly. When that is happening, we see that the effects have got to the individual. Making it a living tradition means that it becomes part of your life, it gets integrated into your life. So every activity in your daily life, walking outside, going for shopping, even going to the disco – whatever you do becomes part of it. Then the effect, the good quality that grows within the individual, has its effect outside. When we say ‘listen’, it is not just referring to listening, but to practicing. That is the important point. If you don’t have that, then no matter how long you sit, or how many years you had dharma teachings or how many initiation vases hit your head, it will have no effect whatsoever. What matters is that the teaching is practiced. That is the meaning of making it a living tradition or living dharma. When it integrates, it becomes part of you. And When it has become part of you, who gets the benefit? Not the dharma, but the individual!

Paths. The doorway to Mahayana is generating the bodhimind. After generating the bodhimind, the actual way of practicing, the general practice of the bodhisattva way comes, which has the six paramitas, the six perfections or the six ‘gone beyonds’. We would like to reach the stage of enlightenment for all mother sentient beings and in order to reach that stage, it is necessary to have a perfect, quick, vast and profound path. If we do not have a vast path, we will be unable to develop the method part of the buddha stage. And if we do not have a profound path, we will not be able to develop the wisdom part of the buddha stage and if we don’t have a quick path, it will probably take countless eons. Therefore to be able to attend ultimate enlightened stage it is absolutely necessary for us to have a perfect path like this. There are different paths and I am sure each one of those different paths will give you its ultimate result. However, the path we have over here, the Vajrayana path, is extraordinary even among the Buddhist paths. The Theravada path will give the ultimate stage of freeing oneself out of the circle of existence and provides you with a peaceful cessation-of-suffering stage, the arhat level. The pure Mahayana path will give you the buddha stage; it will, however, take a number of eons.

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Buddha’s enlightenment. Buddha himself said that he first generated the bodhimind, then accumulated merit and purified for three countless eons and ultimately, on the full-moon day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, at the centre of the earth, at the centre of the universe, under a tree near Bodhgaya, he went in unshakable samadhi and ultimately obtained the state of buddhahood. It is said that in the evening he defeated the evil forces, the maras, during the night he meditated, in the early morning period in one sitting he developed the stage of accumulation of merit and so forth and during that period he obtained the highest stage, the deep, lucid, permanent, nectar-like stage. Then he said: Deep, peaceful, perfectly pure, luminous, uncompounded, and like nectar is the Dharma I have obtained. Even if I were to teach it, it could not be known by another. Certainly, I must remain silent in the forest. He chose to remain completely quiet in the forest. But after some time outstanding gods like Brahma, Vishnu etc. appeared and made a profound request to Buddha: The moment has come, O Protector. I pray that you will liberate sentient beings. In previous existences you taught: “When I myself have crossed over, then I will free others.” You have surely arrived at the other shore. Make true your promise, you with the skillful strength of truth. O Muni, dispel de shadows with the torch of the Dharma; unfurl the banner of the Tathagata. It is the moment to make your sweet words heard – Roar like the king of the beasts whose voice resounds like a drum!98 They said, “Please share your experience, otherwise the whole purpose of your obtaining buddhahood would be defeated. You have generated the bodhimind, based on compassion to all sentient beings; you have accumulated a tremendous amount of merit for benefiting all sentient beings, finally you obtained even the profound stage, also for the benefit of all sentient beings. Please remember your compassion and share your experience for the benefit of all sentient beings.” They offered to Buddha the first five disciples. And so Buddha gave the teaching of the Four Noble Truths. And that is what has continued up to here today. The point is, The biographies of the earlier masters and Buddha are the role models for us, practitioners. So we have to take the footsteps of the Buddha. If such a thing is to happen to us, we have to have it happen quickly. If we look into our compassion, the need for all sentient beings is so urgent, I do not know whether we have that much time to wait. Therefore buddhas and bodhisattvas have also shared their experience of the great Vajrayana, have given that teaching to us. Through that we can obtain enlightenment within the short period of our life-time. That is why Vajrayana is so great. It is very rare, too. It is said, Like the great mythological flower, that only appears when an official buddha appears, that fully blossoms when that buddha is teaching and disappears when that buddha passes away, Vajrayana is rare. It is even more rare than that. So we are most fortunate to live in such a period. That is absolutely being lucky, a fortune we have obtained by sheer luck. Through that method we can reach the stage of a buddha very quickly.

Obstacles in practicing Vajrayana. Being able to utilize that stage absolutely requires the individual’s mind to be ripened, to be fit to have such a practice.

98 Lalitavistara Sutra, The Voice of the Buddha, ch. 25.

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 109

1) The number one obstacle in Vajrayana is ordinary concepts and ordinary perceptions. That is why it becomes important to practice the lucid pride of the deity within the individual as much as possible during and in between the sessions. Ordinary perceptions, feelings and concepts are one of the strongest obstacles; the pride and lucidity of the deity works against that. It shows what a positive religion this is; even as an ordinary human being you walk around with the pride and clarity of a deity. That is why positivity will be materialized. 2) The number two obstacle in Vajrayana is doubt. If you keep on doubting throughout your life, one day death will come and say, “Goodbye to your doubt, come with me.” You do need certain checks, definitely. You don’t follow out of blind faith, but once you follow you have to follow properly. Whatever doubts you have, have them in the beginning, before you enter in. Once you enter into Vajrayana, you should not have doubts, or else you’re going to be doubtful throughout your life, you’ll never go get anywhere and it will be a tremendous waste of opportunity.

Build a foundation for Vajrayana. To be fit to be a Vajrayana practitioner is not going to be easy. Al- though we are fortunate to be able to link up to such teachings, unfortunate incidents may take over and we can lose the opportunity. So I think we should all be careful not to lose such an opportunity and pray a little bit every day of our life too. In order to do practice Vajrayana, it is absolutely necessary to have a strong foundation. Without a strong foundation it will be like a castle built on ice. If you build a castle on ice, your castle may be very great, but when the ice melts the castle will sink into the sea. You can take initiations; nobody is going to say you can’t. And not only can you take the initiation, you can practice also. Not only can you practice, you can achieve some result too – for sure. But that result is going to be undermined when the ice starts to melt. Then you are going to go and the result will go with you. That is why we try to recommend you not to take initiations straightaway, but first to build a solid foundation. Once you built that solid foundation, you can do it. However, you can’t wait all the time either. If you keep on waiting until your foundation has become completely solid, you will miss the opportunity. So have a reasonably good foundation, then do one hundred thousand Migtsemas. It is not a requirement to get an initiation but as our foundation is not that solid, it stands as an additional pillar. It is necessary to have the Lamrim information, otherwise your practice will be ‘climbing a rock without arms’. And I don’t think you can get any better information than Lamrim, which is organized in such a manner that it covers the principles of the Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. This particular Lamrim we are doing now, will end at the level of Mahayana practice, while the similar stages in Vajra- yana (known as Nagrim) will begin thereafter. So a combination of Lamrim and Nagrim is what you need. I don’t think you can get anything else that is so organized, easy to look at, yet sort of vast everywhere. If you have good Lamrim and Nagrim foundation, any information you get anywhere gets absolutely organized. You can pick up any piece of spiritual information anywhere and fit it in wherever it needs to be fitted in.

Learning, thinking, meditating. You need information, but if it is only information it becomes academic and doesn’t affect you at all. You may write a great book or a good lecture and scream it out on the top of your voice, but it won’t do well. If you have the information, you analyze it and get the essence out of it. You don’t have to remember everything, but you get the essence out of it and meditate on that. By meditating on these points it becomes part of you, which means: it influences your way of thinking, its informations become your way of living, it will be picked up as part of your habitual pattern. When that happens, automatically your non-virtuous actions will reduce and your virtuous actions will increase. You increase your positive karma and by that you automatically increase your great result. That is how it works. If you look very carefully, the practice doesn’t even depend on meditation. It depends on the way you think, the way you function, how you interact with people, the way you live. That is really what it is.

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In order to make yourself worthy of the Vajrayana vehicle, it is necessary to have a good understanding of the nature of the truth, which is the deeper path of Lamrim and simultaneously you have to have the bodhimind, which is the vast path of Lamrim. The root to developing the bodhimind is the compassion; great compassion. Without great compassion there is no way you can develop the bodhimind. Therefore great compassion is the root. Great compassion is totally based on equanimity. If you don’t have equanimity, there is no way to develop great compassion, because some people are going to be close, some people are going to be distant. As long as you have a mind of distance and nearness, it is going to be a problem, there is no way you can develop great equanimity. No way.

Equanimity and ‘I rinpoche’. Equanimity begins within the individual. Equanimity to yourself; treating yourself better is the beginning of your equanimity. I am sure we all have the same problem. Normally we don’t see our own faults, we always see ourselves as, “I have been doing the right thing, but he or she has done the wrong thing. I was right and he was wrong and therefore this happened.” Or, “O yes, this part of me is right, but that part of me was wrong, so I have this problem.” First you have to treat all parts of yourself equally well; that is equanimity: this part of me and that part of me are both me, so I can’t hate one part. You may not love certain parts of yourself very much, but you can tolerate them. So equanimity has to start within yourself, “This part of me and that part of me are me, nobody else. Yesterday’s me was me and today’s me is me and tomorrow’s me is going to be me; all me’s are me,” so you have to treat them equally too. Equanimity begins here. Then the second step is: develop equanimity towards your nearest and dearest, your group, your companions, your sangha members, your parents. Charity begins in your own backyard, so equanimity begins with yourself and your close associates, your circle. What is the way to practice this equanimity? It is very simple and easy to shut your door and windows, get inside your cocoon and meditate equanimity. The little imagined people you meditate will behave exactly the way you want. If you want those figures leaning to the right, they will all lean to the right, if you want them to lean to the left, they all will lean to the left, if you want them upside down, they will do it. Wonderful. However, the moment you look outside your cocoon, the beings around you will function slightly differently. You will say something to a being and that one will say, “No.” They react. And then you don’t know what to do, you withdraw into your cocoon again or you go crazy. That is problem number one: the others do not act the way you want them to. Problem number two: Why can’t we adjust? Why can’t we give and take? Why must it always be the way we want it? You are not going to lose a penny, you are not going to lose your dharma path. As a matter of fact you gain it, but you are going to lose your pride. It hurts your pride. It hurts the ‘I, the most precious’, the ‘I rinpoche’. ‘I rinpoche’ has created all these problems for me from the limitless beginning. All our non-virtuous karma we created because of ‘I rinpoche’. And if you don’t handle it today, this great ‘I rinpoche’ will definitely let you down. As a community we try to adjust to everybody’s feelings, we cooperate as friends. However, at the time the karmic judgment comes, there is no adjustment at all. The karmic judgment, like it or not, is going to be passed on us individually and when that karmic judgment materializes, you get all sorts of physical, mental and emotional problems, because of the attitude of ‘I rinpoche’. We kept ‘I rinpoche’ as great, precious and most important. We always dance to the tune of ‘I rinpoche’. We give up everything to please ‘I rinpoche’. Don’t we do that? We do. We even give up the method through which we can get free from all the sufferings to suit the temperament of ‘I rinpoche’. From now on you have to recognize and see if there is such a thing called ‘enemy’ which is ‘I rinpoche’. ‘I rinpoche’ made me suffer throughout my life, throughout my lives and lives. If you treat the business partner who cheated you as an enemy, then this one should certainly deserve to be treated as an enemy. But if you are a strong person, if you are capable, if you are a human being with education, you should always do the opposite of what ‘I rinpoche’ wants you to do. If you are a good dharma practitioner, you should always go the opposite direction of where ‘I rinpoche’ wants you to go. That is why some of the great sages behaved like crazy people. Because their ‘I rinpoche’ was so strong, they had to go wild.

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The great sages and ‘I rinpoche’. Atisha was a prince of Magadha, heir to the throne, so the royal family wanted him to become the ruler. Atisha had a big debate within himself, “Should I be the heir to the throne and try to become the ruler or should I follow the dharma?” He went here and there, trying to make up his mind and finally he met Lama Rahulagupta who asked him, “What do you want?” Atisha said, “Well the royal thing is very comfortable, maybe I should do that.” Rahulagupta said, “No. If you want to do that, don’t do it; if you don’t want to do that, do it. Since you said you want to do it, you should not.” Then At- isha said, “But what can I do?” Rahulagupta said, “If you don’t come to listen to me, don’t come to me at all! I don’t want to see you, not only in this life, but also in many future lives.” Atisha said, “Alright, but my parents will not permit me.” Rahulagupta said, “To hell with your parents.” Atisha said, “But I’m sure my mother won’t let me go.” Atisha went back and talked back and forth, but his mother wouldn’t let him go. So Rahulagupta said, “Alright, then go back but behave strangely, run down to the red-light area, go and do whatever you have to do.” [In a reaction to Atisha’s behavior] the father passed a lot of rules, saying that they can’t talk to him and all sorts of things. Finally Rahulagupta made Atisha take off his clothes completely, go nude and together with eight other disciples, wearing human skulls around the necks and blowing thigh bones, they danced naked through the town. Atisha went to that extent of rebelling for that – so our rebelling is not that bad – and it served two purposes. Sleeping in the streets of his own capital with all sorts of funny costumes, dancing around nude, visiting all red-light doors, all these sort of funny things made the great prince Atisha defeat his ‘I rinpoche’ as well as it helping him to get out of the royalty.

We talk about the great Naropa. In the US there is even a university named after Naropa.99 He is a great person. When you see him pictured you might think Naropa is some kind of His Holiness-type of rinpoche with retinue, sitting on a throne, but you are wrong. If you would see Naropa today, you’d probably see a homeless person. The picture of Naropa is: a homeless junky in downtown Chicago, maybe with a blanket on his head, carrying a little bundle of dirty stuff around. You are going to find Naropa in that way rather than with retinues around him. Even having a few disciples, they would meet for tsoh somewhere under a tree where there were no people around. And if you would see them downtown somewhere during the daytime, you would not recognize them, you wouldn’t even know they are part of a group. When Naropa found Tilopa, he was catching fish from the water, putting them on the fire alive and swallowing them like that. Milarepa- found Marpa as a farmer who tried to plough a field. Some of these great sages have behaved totally differently and some have behaved very well. All was just to defeat the ‘I rinpoche’. I am not suggesting everybody should becomes a hippie, don’t misunderstand me. You can be a very good yuppie or hippie and still defeat ‘I rinpoche’. If you cannot defeat ‘I rinpoche’ you are not going to reach any spiritual development; forget it. You are not even going to get along with your friends at all, because they won’t suit your ‘I rinpoche’. So you have to defeat your ‘I rinpoche’. It is our total enemy. If there is a devil, that is the one. That one is going to cost you your equanimity and your compassion; it is even going to cost you your understanding of emptiness, everything. Even your friends, companions, relationships, the parent-children relations, friend-friend relations and sangha. All these losses are caused by ‘I rinpoche’ – nothing else. You have to remind yourself of this. Remember your ‘I rinpoche’, put it on your wall and see it every day. If you find anything hurting your pride, it is not hurting you, it is hurting the ‘I rinpoche’. It is great, you should welcome it. You should be happy with that rather than defending yourself! In short, if you are thinking of becoming a dharma practitioner, if you are thinking of becoming a bodhisattva, if you are thinking of becoming a Vajrayana practitioner, defeat ‘I rinpoche’ for your own sake. ‘I rinpoche’ is connected with the I-protecting mechanism, which is the anger.

99 Naropa Institute, Boulder, Colorado, founded by Ven. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Part of it is the Jack Kerouac School for Dis- embodied Poetics, which Allen Ginsberg used to be in charge of.

112 Lam Rim Teachings iii) Paramita of patience [Skt. ksanti] I would like to talk about patience on the basis of Tsongkhapa’s medium Lamrim (Lamrim Chungba) as well as on Pabongka’s Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. In this medium Lamrim Tsongkhapa makes three divisions: actual recognition of the patience, the different kinds of patience and how to develop patience within the individual. The outlines are important. In the Tibetan system each of the traditional Lamrims has very big outlines and that might not be very convenient to people who are practicing, as it is difficult to keep track on three of these, four of these, eleven of these etc. But somehow you should follow the basic things, develop some kind of outlines for yourself to follow. We have the Foundation of All Perfections. It is short, but it has a constant order, so you can add up a few things here and there. The point is, once you have learned the whole thing, in everyday practice you will be at least reviewing the whole Lamrim and that will have a very good effect on the individual. Let us follow Tsongkhapa’s system here.

(1) What patience is Patience is the best ornament of real heroes, A supreme self mortification to overcome delusions, The garuda bird to destroy the snake of anger, Armour to protect one from arrows of criticism. Knowing this, in every way familiarize yourself. With the armour of patience supreme. I, a yogi, did that myself; You, O liberation seeker, should do likewise. Je Tsongkhapa, Song of the Stages in Spiritual Practice [Lamrim Dudon], vs. 17

Recognizing patience When talking about patience here, we are not referring to every patience we can have, but the patience for dharma practice. In every one of the six paramitas, you have to deal with dharma practice. Whatever difficulties or sufferings come, they should not be overpowering your mind; your mind should be able to remain clean, clear and precise. That is the patience we are talking about. Whatever is done to you, you do not respond. It is not just retaining the anger, it should not be effecting the individual at all. I sometimes have that attitude, which can have its disadvantages too. I don’t care whoever says what, even if they tell me in the face. I may become a little red but that is all. I probably won’t even hear it. The main point here is, it should not affect you. It says, Whatever people do or say, you should not be affected at all. Sometimes you have to protect yourself, no doubt. People do funny things sometimes. You can protect yourself, but that doesn’t mean you should not have patience. You can protect yourself in a way that you remain on your own territory and don’t step on other people’s toes. That is one part of patience. In con- junction to that: being able to bear any difficulties that you face. So, patience is a combination: not only not responding to anger with anger, but also bearing hardships. If you look into Milarepa’s biography, the hardships he had to face had two purposes: the purpose of purification and the purpose of patience that Marpa tried to develop within Milarepa.

Very often, when we have something material to come, the first thing we do is leave the dharma practice out. We say, “I have to take care of that first and then I will practice.” “Yes, practice is great but I have to look after the baby…” Yes, true, you have to look after your baby, but at the same time the patience here tries to tell you that somehow you have to integrate and adjust it. Sometimes you may say, “Well, I have been hurt so much lately, I have been suffering so much, I cannot do anything else.” When you are taken over by suffering or any other thing, Tsongkhapa says it is like being drunk: your mind is not clear but shaky, it is influenced and controlled by something and you behave like crazy. Sometimes when we have problems and sufferings our mind becomes controlled, occupied, influenced by that. You are unable to function, because the priority in your life has shifted. The control button

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 113 has been changed. Generally when we talk about patience, it means ‘bearing something’. We don’t mean that here. We mean: don’t let it influence your mind. Keep your mind clean and straight, no matter how much suffering, pain of difficulty you have. So patience does not necessarily mean patience in the normal sense of the word. The Lamrim Chungba says: Point one is keeping the mind clear, not letting it get influenced, overpowered; and the desire to practice and working towards whatever is good, should be really steady. The word that is used here means ‘happily doing it’, and it is related to ‘diligence’. You know, there is a very close link between what we are referring to as patience and diligence. Actually the six paramitas are like a tool; everybody can use it and benefit.

Recognizing the opponents of patience Each one of those paramitas has its own opposite. Tsongkhapa lists three here: 1) The opponent of patience of course is anger/hatred combined. Trungpa Rinpoche talks about warriors and Shambala. That may be a slightly exaggerated way of putting it but truly there are positive and negative points in a sort of fight. 2) Losing the clarity of mind. That means, you lose control of your mind. 3) Dislike to practice. There is no desire to do anything or even a dislike to it. When you don’t like to do something, dislike is the basic thing. But you don’t want to say it, you find excuses, you want to hide it for a little while. Sometimes you don’t want to hide completely for a little while, but you enlarge it in your mind and make it more important and then you make an excuse. These are the opponents of this third practice of the bodhisattvas. When you have the struggle between yes and no, it becomes the struggle between these two: anger versus patience, losing the clarity versus main- taining it, willingness to do it versus using excuses. You get it? This is where the struggle goes on.

How to measure. The completion of this paramita is gained when due to practice, the perfection of patience is fully developed and the opponent, anger, is completely cleared. This perfection will only come at the stage of a buddha. So until you reach that stage, the struggle will continue. However, dependent on the level, the power of the opponent is weaker and the perfection is stronger. So when you ask yourself how good you are in your spiritual practice, how good you are in your practice of patience, see how powerful the opponent is, how much you can stand against it. That is how you judge your perfection. Because it is not really the same as the English word ‘patience’. it can be safer to use the Sanskrit word. Ksanti means: the power of the opponent has been cleared within our mind. That doesn’t mean that all angry people have been removed from the earth. You cannot remove angry persons at all. Here the way bodhisattvas function is also important: first the opponent has to be cleared within your own mind and secondly you try to clear the obstacles in the minds of other people.

(2) Classification: three types of patience (a) The patience of not retaliating or harming The first one is: when anyone is harming you, don’t let it get to you. You cannot clear all the anger from the world. You cannot clear all your enemies from the human registrations. Therefore people are going to hurt you, definitely. And you have to learn not to let them get you. No matter how much they hurt you, you have to sit there and be laughing. True. If somebody wants to hurt you and you start crying, they have succeeded in hurting you. Forget about the bodhisattva way, it is even true in the ordinary way. If somebody wants to hurt you, why do you take it? You have to take double strength and say you’re not going to be disturbed, you’re not letting them get you. Don’t laugh at them out of anger – although you can laugh at them out of compassion. Laughing out of anger is not real laughing.

(b) The patience of even welcoming sufferings If a difficulty or suffering comes, you voluntarily accept it. You welcome it more or less.

114 Lam Rim Teachings

(3) How to develop patience within the individual Meditate on the problems created by the opponents of this paramita and the benefits you gain out of it. Let your mind be clear on the advantages and disadvantages of it and then let it make its own voluntary choice. That is the whole idea. See the advantages of patience and the disadvantages of anger and let your mind make the balance.

(a) Reflecting on the advantages of having patience 1) You have fewer enemies. Because you are not going to offend so many people, there will be far fewer people who dislike you and you will get along well with a lot more people. 2) You maintain friendships. If you are not touchy, then your friends will remain friends. If you behave as a touchy person, your friends will become enemies. One of the disadvantages is that we sometimes even get upset when someone is looking at us in the wrong way. We say, “The way she is looking at me, I can tell what she has in mind, it is a clear indication she dislikes me.” We go to that extent, so we lose the friends that we have. We unnecessarily make them an enemy because of some word we cannot tolerate, some interferences we cannot tolerate, the way they look at us we cannot tolerate. And when that ‘can’t tolerate’ goes on, you lose your friends. When you have tolerance, your friends will remain as friends. 3) You have more joy and mental peace. If you have the power of anger, you will offend more people. In the usual American way you will say, “So and so doesn’t like me much.” In that manner you already created a little cloud over that person. That is our mental projection. So there is already some kind of unsmoothness within our mind, created by ourselves, by our projection, on the basis of that individual. 4) You have less regret. Much less regret. 5) You die in peace. By remaining in peace even after death, you can take rebirth in the samsaric-gods’ realm. I am not talking about out of samsara, but by simple human behavior you can die in peace and thereby take a better rebirth.

These are the brief listings of the benefits in Tsongkhapa’s Lamrim Chungba. To prove them, he goes into a short sutra, One of the best practices to help other beings is patience. All good things in the world are protected by patience rather than by anger. If you have the third paramita within you and you have some kind of material, economic or political power, this is one of your best ornaments. If you are a practitioner this is one of the best [qualities] for the difficult tasks you have to do. This is the water which will kill the fire of anger. All problems of yourself and others can be solved by patience. If you are a respectable, good person and you wear the armament of this paramita, patience, all the arrows of the world that other people shoot at you, will not get to you. All arrows that are shot at you by the words of others, will become flowers to you. As I told you: people will hurt you, but don’t let them get you. It is true: no matter if an angry person keeps on shouting at a person who can stand it, using the hardest, most sensitive button – from his point of view it is an arrow – but if you are able not to let it get you, for you the arrow becomes transformed into a flower, because an observing person will say, “Wow, that person can really take it, he is great!” If it doesn’t matter how much is coming from that side, hitting and shooting at you, and you are just sitting there and taking it, it has become a praise and it is almost like a flower-garland offered. The words were meant to hit you, but you were able to protect yourself. That is called: transforming the arrow into flowers. I always tell the Ram Dass story here. He said his brother-in-law was accusing him all the time on a Jewish feast and because of the effect of drugs, he could see the arrows coming from the mouth of that person fall on the table. The actual reality was: it was not getting at him. Tsongkhapa says, The most beautiful artwork one can produce on the spiritual path is patience.

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 115

The idea here is to think about it and meditate. The purpose of the meditation is: to influence your mind. Influencing your mind means that your mind becomes like that. Then there is some kind of influence and whenever the problem arises, you’ll be able to take it and you’ll be able to apply [patience]. When you are meditating in your own little room, nobody is going to insult you, nobody is going to shoot arrows at you, so there is no problem; it looks great. But the moment you are dealing with people, people will hit you back. Because they are human beings, they also have emotional problems, they also have their ups and downs, as much as I get hurt they get hurt too, so they react. The practice here is not trying to clear them out, but to clear yourself out! Sometimes you should be able to solve problems by discussing, sometimes you can’t solve them at all. Whether you can solve them by talking or not, the best method here is to get yourself clear. The way you get yourself clear is, no matter what happens, who says what, nothing should shake you. Actually, that is basically a quality of a human being: be unshakable like a mountain. No matter what anyone says, don’t let it get to you. That is what it is. There are two attitudes you can take for that. Within the individual, of course, you don’t let it get in. But how do you react to other people? If it is helpful, if it has some kind of benefit, try to discuss it. And if nothing is going to come out of this discussion, just sit quiet, just avoid and don’t participate. If you don’t participate and keep quiet, then instead of hitting you, people will start hitting themselves. So what you do is withdraw, not participate. The moment you feel “I have to defend myself otherwise my honor is at stake or my self respect is shaking” it is getting at you. These benefits are your meditation. And this meditation will influence your mind.

(b) Reflecting on the disadvantages of not having patience 1) It destroys our virtues. I have discussed this a number of times. I am sure all of you know. The Bodhi- sattvacharyavatara says: Whatever wholesome deeds, Such as venerating the buddhas, and generosity, that have been amassed over a thousand eons Will all be destroyed in one moment of anger. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 6, vs. 1 Tsongkhapa has a long discussion here. It might be a good idea to share that point now. When they talk about a thousand of eons of good effect being ruined, some people insist that is about a bodhisattva getting angry at a bodhisattva. Others say it doesn’t have to be a bodhisattva. According to Chandrakirti, Tsongkhapa explains here, if a bodhisattva gets angry at a bodhisattva that many eons are destroyed. If a non-bodhisattva gets angry at a bodhisattva there is no question whether that much gets destroyed; that definitely is the case.100 Tsongkhapa’s final conclusion is: Yes, it is definitely talking about a bodhisattva getting angry at a bodhisattva; however, if a bodhisattva getting angry at a bodhisattva destroys that much virtue, then a non-bodhisattva getting angry at a bodhisattva will definitely [destroy that much virtue]. That is his logical conclusion. Similar to the bodhisattva – non-bodhisattva business, he quotes from a sutra: If you are advised not to get angry even at non-beings, like a piece of wood, a tree, a rock or something, then how much more does that go for anybody with a mind? Here it says you are even advised not to get angry at a piece of rock or anything. I always thought that if you get angry and bang on the wall it is probably not that bad, but it is part of anger; it doesn’t really harm anything but it is part of anger. So, the object is either a being or a non-being (sems yin means being and sems yin ma yin pa means non-being) and you have a rough mind that is wishing to harm and hurt. It is a mind which wants to harm that individual or object. It is the desire to harm, whether you act on it or not. That is why hatred and anger are very close. I don’t think just minor irritations really qualify to be counted as anger. Anger needs to have the wish to harm, the wish to hurt. It does not necessarily have to be the wish to do major damage,

100 Also see Tsongkhapa, Illumination of the Thought, An extensive explanation of Chandrakirti’s ‘Supplement to the Middle Way’. Translation: Jeffrey Hopkins, Compassion in Tibetan Buddhism, p. 209-212.

116 Lam Rim Teachings but you do have the wish to hurt. When two people are fighting, they try to use the harshest words and wherever you find the other one’s sensitive buttons, you try to point to it; that is because there is a wish to hurt. E.g. although tickling normally falls in the category of playing, if you keep on tickling someone whom this hurts, it is an act of anger; it becomes an act of anger because the desire here is hurting rather than playing or making love.

What does ‘destroying virtue’ mean? This is a long important point. It is a little confusing but important. When we say ‘application of the four powers destroys non-virtues’ or when we say ‘anger destroys virtues’, what do we mean by destroying? There are a lot of viewpoints. One viewpoint goes, Of all the virtues you had earlier, the power to ripen becomes a little defective and therefore giving the result is delayed. The result of powerful anger you have within you, will probably ripen fast, first, before the other virtues come. That is what destroying virtues means. So this viewpoint says: destroying means that it defects the ripening power and delays the ability to give the result, but that does not mean that when the conditions are ripe it cannot give the result. That is one viewpoint. The reason for those people to say that is there is one teaching that says that samsaric practices, jigten päi lam, cannot destroy any delusion from the seed. It says, “Anything samsaric cannot destroy delusion and its imprints.” We use that reason. That is the reason why the wisdom becomes important for cutting the root of samsara. We always say wisdom will be the antidote to the ignorance. We even quote, “Love-compassion etc. is not the direct opponent to ignorance and therefore love-compassion etc. cannot do any damage to ignorance at all.” This is the reason here. Why can love-compassion not damage the ignorance? Because it is not a direct opponent. Why is it not a direct opponent? Because it is samsaric. Therefore, if a samsaric type of dharma, any practice, cannot cut the delusions and their roots, how can it destroy anything else? There- fore, when you say ‘destruction’, it means it becomes defective to manifest the result; however, it is not being completely cleared. So whenever the conditions are ripe, it will manifest – whether virtue or non- virtue. That is one viewpoint. Tsongkhapa goes against this reasoning. He says, If we, ordinary persons, practice the four powers against any non-virtue and we say we have purified it, the word purifying does not necessarily mean we have completely cleared the seed of this non-virtue. But it made that even if the conditions are right, it will not be able to give the result. So, Tsongkhapa explains it beyond. That is an important point, particularly for the senior students, the people who will be leading discussions. They have to be clear in their minds. This is a difficult point. So, it is not completely cleared from the imprint, its seed, the root; however, even when the conditions are right, it will not be able to produce its result. Tsongkhapa further proves this with the five paths. Out of the five paths [the first two are] the path of accumulation and the path of action. The path of action has four divisions: 1) the heat level, 2) the peak level, 3) the patience level, 4) the best samsaric level. When you reach the fourth level of the path of action, you develop an immune system for falling into the lower realms. A lot of bodhisattvas pray, “May I take rebirth in the hell realm for the benefit of others.” However, many times they couldn’t get it. Remem- ber Geshe Chekawa.101 Because at that level the immune system has developed. Your power, your wish to go to the lower realms, has to be very high and strong, otherwise it is very hard to take rebirth there, even if you want to. Tsongkhapa says, How is [not falling into lower realms] obtained at that level? The wrong view, the seed [of samsara], has not been cleared by those people, because they have not reached the third level, the seeing path. However, they have developed an immune system. When they have developed that, then even if the conditions are right, the result cannot materialize. That is because of the obtained level. Very similarly, when you purify any non-virtue by the four powers, it might not be purified from the root at all, but even if the conditions are right, it cannot materialize.

101 See page 86.

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 117

This is the non-virtue part of it. The virtue part, the destruction of virtues, is a different system, for which you would have to read the Middle Way doctrine, the Madhyamika, which we will not touch today. Anger destroys virtue. What happens? Again there are explanations. Some say, “When anger meets with some of those virtues which have not been protected, anger sort of numbs the virtues and the result cannot be given.” Some say, “No, it will give one result, but the system of continuous result has been numbed.” There are a lot of questions and discussions about what this ‘numbed’ is. I wanted to confirm my own thinking, so I intended to read a book on Madhyamika yesterday, but I could not. However, I think Tsongkhapa’s point is that the way virtue destroys non-virtue is similar to the way non-virtue destroys virtue. I don’t think Tsongkhapa accepts that it can give one result and that the continuous result gets numbed. When we say ‘destroying’ or we say ‘purifying’, we worry about non-virtue more than about virtue. True, but we have to see that it works both ways. (That is my thinking and I hope I remember everything correctly. These sort of details I have not taught for thirty years; normally in the dharma teachings those things don’t come up. It is important now, because if you don’t look carefully, even geshes get confused. So it is important.) Tsongkhapa further says: Just delaying the result does not necessarily mean it is destroyed. Any heavier virtue, any heavier karma – whatever it is – is supposed to come first. And if the point of delaying [equaling destroying] were correct, then all the heavy karmas would destroy the weak karmas, because their result is supposed to come before the result of the weak karmas. Do you understand the logical point he uses? Then all the powerful non-virtuous actions would also destroy all the virtues. Tsongkhapa concludes, following the teachings of Nagarjuna’s disciple Bhavaviveka, Whether the non-virtues are destroyed by the four powers, or whether the wrong views, anger etc. destroy the virtues, [in both cases] it destroys the capability of re-manifesting. An example is the seed that has been destroyed; when you put it down, no matter whether there is heat, manure or water, it will not be able to grow because it is defected seed. Tsongkhapa follows Bhavavikeka’s viewpoint that purifying means that the result will never be able to re- manifest, giving the example of damaged seed that cannot give any result: Even though the purified non-virtue may not be able to give the result, it will, however, have delayed the individual development. When these obstacles come up, they delay what has already been made. Don’t look at individual development as sort of one lump. This is a basic wrong idea of a lot of westerners. They think spiritual development is one thing. You have to think of it as a gradual process of development, slow improvement. Every one of us in the dharma circle is making a tremendous amount of progress all the time, however [we think] it is not good enough, not fast enough, not strong enough… That is our problem. With every obstacle that comes up the process is delayed, because the development is obstructed and that cannot be redone. The non-virtues you have can be purified and you may not get their result, but whatever got obstructed, is obstructed already and you cannot re-do that. That is the second point Tsongkhapa made clear. This might not be very relevant to study group people, but it is relevant to the senior ones who are getting deeper into it and particularly to those who are leading the discussions. They have to have it clear in their minds.

In short, purifying non-virtues doesn’t necessarily mean all the destructions created by the non-virtues get cleared. What gets cleared is: that karma may not be able to give the bad result it was supposed to give later on, as a direct result of that karmic action. If I kill some creature today and I purify it with the four powers, what does that mean to me? By killing I have already obstructed my development. That damage was done and I cannot undo it. It is the result of killing that I get straightaway. Also I created a karma of losing my life. I can play with that, because that is not an immediate effect, so I can purify that and if I do a good purification, probably that result may not be able to come up because of the purification.

118 Lam Rim Teachings

But by purifying what I did the case is not totally written off, because whatever is done, is done. I can’t undo what is done. If you killed a being you cannot bring it back. It is done and the immediate obstacle that had to come also has come. But [we can prevent] what has not yet come, the direct result of that karma. Can you see the two things? Therefore, if you have to chose between having non-virtue and purifying it or not having any non- virtue at all, the last one is better because there is no direct damage. If you have it already, you can’t help it. For example, killing is something which is unavoidable. Remember the dying insects under your feet or under your car-wheels. Also, feeding insects to insect eaters is – although environmentally acceptable – killing. The circle of samsara is such that killing is almost unavoidable. However, when you can avoid it, it is better. Saying, “Well, it doesn’t matter that I do it, because I can purify it” is not that great. Tsongkhapa continues, In short, when you purify non-virtues it does not mean all the effects of the non-virtues have been totally cleared. Similarly, when you destroy the virtues, the effect of the virtues will also not be destroyed. However – and this is very important – this knowledge is with the buddhas alone, nobody else can clear how this really works. That is why when you say, “How does anger burn [virtue]?” I say, “I don’t know, I have no idea.” Tsongkhapa says, “Only the buddhas can know.”

This first disadvantage of not having patience we may not be able to see very clearly. The disadvantages that we can see clearly, are the following: 2) You will not experience peace in your mind. 3) Your happiness and joy will get lost. It obstructs your happiness, even in the future, because it stands against that. 4) You will not be able to sleep well. 5) Your stability of mind is lost. 6) If you have too much anger, you will even forget the people who have been kind to you before and all your friends will be fed up with you and go away; you will lose them one by one. 7) You will lose your friends. Even if you get friends by other means, if you have so much anger, they cannot stand you and you’ll lose them. According to Tsongkhapa these are listed in the Bodhisattva- charyavatara102. There is no evil like hatred, And no fortitude like patience. Thus I should always strive in various ways To meditate on patience. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 6, vs. 2 These are the materials on which you have to meditate. Meditating on these points clearly influences the individual and then the individual will begin to see what destruction it does, so you don’t want to repeat that. That is how it affects you, that is how it becomes living dharma.

When someone is harming you – whether the person did that harm to you willingly, in total freedom or was forced to do it – you do not react with anger. You know, when somebody slaps you, of course you have to react, but how angry are you going to be? When you have the time, you sit down and start thinking whether that person did it out of total liberty or influenced by something. When you think carefully, many times you will find that people who do funny things to you, are influenced by misinformation or by miscommunication or, above all, are drunk from their delusions. So really, they don’t have much choice.

102 See Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, ch. 6, vs. 3-5.

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 119

An example given here is: when someone is totally mad, you bring the person to a doctor and the doctor tries to help him or her. That person is maybe going to hit that doctor or whoever tries to help, but whoever is helping is not getting angry at him, because it is very clear to us that this person has no freedom. His mind is not sensible, he is not acting from his free will; he is sort of helpless, overpowered. That is why it is not fit for us to react immediately by getting angry. To proof this Tsongkhapa here quotes from Aryadeva’s Four Hundred Verses, Just as a doctor does not fight but helps, though they are angry, patients who are possessed by spirits, the Sage sees that the afflictions are at fault, not the persons who have the afflictions. When a mad person tries to attack the doctor, the doctor and everybody else knows that person is helpless; he or she is not under his own control, doesn’t have his own sense. So there is no reason to get angry at that person. Similarly, enlightened ones see that when one human being reacts back to another one, it is the delusion that has been doing it, not the individual. That is proved further by Chandrakirti, who says, This is not the fault of the being, it is the fault of the delusion. If you are an intelligent person, you should know that. So it is not proper at all to get angry at that person. Not only that. Why am I suffering today? What I am suffering of today, is my previous karma of which I am getting the result. And due to this experience of problems, all non-virtues I have created, will get exhausted. If you meditate on patience in that way, it benefits the individual. What benefits do you get? You are not going to create additional non-virtues that will probably cause you to go to a lower realm. If you would react sharply with anger, then of course you created another non-virtuous karma and that will have its result. So we are not going to create a cause of suffering. Not only that. If you get angry, what you will have to suffer later is much more. Also the immediate emotional effect we have to go through is much heavier than the anger itself. If you overlook things, in ordinary eyes it may look like you are intimidated, helpless and hopeless. People may interpret your attitude in that way, but the true effect is that it benefits. Why? Because you have escaped the opportunities in which you were probably going to create non-virtuous karma and as a result take rebirth in the lower realms. You discontinued a creation of anger-karma. So overlooking has a lot of advantages. Also, the immediate emotional effects that you normally have to deal with; it will be much lighter. Suppressing is different. Suppressing is just pushing your anger down. You just simply say anger is bad and you suppress it, without giving yourself any opportunity to look into it, to examine it. You really have to pay attention to the difference between suppressing and overlooking.

(ii) How to reflect on the patience of even welcoming the sufferings With any problem we face, if it is something that can easily be corrected, there is no reason to be unhappy about it; we have to correct it. If there is nothing to be corrected, there is also no reason why we have to carry a long face, because it is not going to help at all. Not only it is not going to help, it also creates difficulties. If you make it bigger, the pain will feel greater than what it really is. And if your mind is, “Well, it is painful, it is uncomfortable, but it is not something one cannot bear,” then the capacity of the individual to take the pain is bigger. Particularly mental pain is the pain that we experience. For physical pain you can take an aspirin, but mental pain is the part that is difficult to handle. So, if there is nothing that can be corrected, instead of worrying, accept it. Then somehow you will be able to handle it. Looking in that way will be helpful. You know, suffering sometimes is a blessing in disguise. For example, if there would be no suffering, no pain, there would be no reason why we should dislike samsara. We would never see the faults of samsara if we didn’t experience them. That is a problem for dharma practitioners, for people who really want to develop. You have to accept the sufferings and accept the pain. You have to acknowledge it. When you acknowledge it, what benefit do you get? You see samsara is suffering: pain of separation, pain of dying. There are two things in that: the pain of the person going and the pain of the person living. But somehow we tend to deny it by creating a different atmosphere. That is not accepting and that is not

120 Lam Rim Teachings right. You have to accept it and if you accept it, you’ll see it is a fault of samsara. And then you’ll see there is a chance of developing the determination to be free, of getting out of there. If you keep on denying the pain and problems, how the hell will you develop the determination to be free? No way. If a prisoner enjoys the prison, thinking it is a great place to be, where there are no bills to pay and the food is provided etc., the person will not get the desire to get out of the prison and is never going to be free. In samsara we do the same thing. That is why the pain we get can be very useful, provided we know how to take it. If you keep on denying, it serves no purpose. So pain and problems can come from the true blessings of Buddha, dharma and sangha. They are a signal, a reminder to us of true reality, of where and what we are. So, when you don’t accept the pain, there is no way you can get the determination to be free, there is no way you see the faults of samsara, there is no way you see the advantages and qualities of nirvana. No way. Not only that. Pain helps you tremendously to reduce pride103. It really helps. When you have some pains, you begin to realize: if you cannot even control the pain on your little pinky, how would you control the universe? Not only that. If you get a little suffering, if you have to cry, you have to find out where it comes from. It is definitely a result of non-virtue. If you don’t want that to continue, you have to avoid non-virtue. Don’t be a fool. There is nothing you can work out on the result level, you have to work at the cause level. The past is the past. You cannot rewrite history, but you can correct the future. If you don’t like pain, you have to avoid the causes for pain. Not only that. If there is pain, you will appreciate the painless moments. The basic lifestyle of Amer- ica is great, but you Americans don’t appreciate it, because you can’t acknowledge the problems they face in third-world nations. When we don’t acknowledge those, we don’t appreciate our basic living standard. So, if you accept the suffering, it proofs to be very useful. Denial will not do any good; the individual will be the loser. Not only that. When you dislike pain, you are seeking joyfulness, happiness. The mind disliking the pain is the mind that seeks happiness. If you are seeking happiness, you need the cause for happiness. The cause of happiness is good work. That is another reminder. Not only that. When we begin to look at ourselves, we see that each one of us has complaints and is seeking pleasure. It establishes that each one of us is seeking happiness. Even in the dharma. Why did you all come here today? The weather is nice outside; why are you not in your bathing suit on the lake? Why do you drive all the way from Chicago or Cleveland to here? You may say, “I’ve come for dharma,” but why? Because in our deepest mind we think it is going to help us. That is why we came. People who are not here are also seeking the same thing. On the subject of death we quote the seventh Dalai Lama, remember? If you look closely and contemplate deeply The people and things that appear around you, You can see that are all in constant flux. Everything becomes the teacher of impermanence. The mind itself is impermanent, constantly oscillating Between feelings of pleasure, pain and indifference, The fruits of positive, Negative and neutral karma.104 Whether you look at higher, lower, rich, poor, monk or lay people, each one has a different way of putting their faces, but everyone is passing their life in suffering. Nobody is passing his days in joyfulness. Mostly we pass the days in pain. That is how we pass our life; hour after hour, day after day, year after year that life goes on. That is all equal for everybody; as I do, the people in the room do and the people outside do too. Some adopt the method of denying, some adopt the method of not bothering, trying to forget, trying

103 Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, ch. 6, vs. 21: “Furthermore, suffering has good qualities: Through being disheartened with it, arrogance is dispelled, Compassion arises for those in cyclic existence, Evil is shunned and joy is found in virtue.” 104 Meditations on the Ways of Impermanence. In: Dalai Lama VII, Songs of Spiritual Change, transl. Glenn Mullin, p. 58-61. Also to be found in: Glenn Mullin, Death and Dying: The Tibetan Tradition, p. 218-222.

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 121 not to see it. Even if you turn off your television when some report comes, if you refuse to talk about certain things, even then your pains are continuing. The days are passing in that way. A benefit of accepting pain is that you can develop love-compassion, bodhimind. If you deny your pain, where is it going to get you? Nowhere. Compassion is a romantic word, but it can only grow if we have pains and acknowledge the pains. These are the benefits of accepting our difficulties.

Accepting suffering is one of the important kinds of patience. It is like an armor. When the bodhisattvas are talked about as heroes and heroines, they are talked about as having a ‘big heart’. What does a ‘big heart’ stand for? How much you can take the problems. When you talk about warriors and heroes, you talk about people who have a big heart, you talk about how much suffering they can take, for the benefit of others, but also for their own benefit. Once you begin, you begin to take small pains, then the bigger and bigger ones. Finally, as Dharmakirti says, When you get used to it, then there will be nothing which is difficult for you to take. Today we talk about how these great bodhisattvas gave their lives for others. Remember how Aryadeva gave his eyeball and how Buddha, when he was still a bodhisattva, cut his wrist to feed the tigress. They did so joyfully. How is that possible? If your mind is really developed, you can take that much. And when you are capable of that there is no pain, there is joy. If you are a great bodhisattva, a great hero, yes, you should be able to give your body, but even though the books say it, and this is the bodhisattva way, as we have not reached that level we can’t do it. Forget about the tiger, we run away from a little bee that might want to sting us. That shows our limits. These limits are stretched by accepting small pains, small problems. If you then develop the idea of accepting whatever big problem comes, it will become like an armor. Any little pains will not let you withdraw, will not pull you back. So it is like an armor, protecting yourself. If you can do that patience has developed. The bodhisattvas have no hesitation to accept suffering. They say, “Giving your body is equal to giving a little green from your fridge.” They can even stay an eon in the hell realm for the sake of one single person. All that is possible because of the mental capacity. Neither the suffering has got smaller nor the person has become bigger, but the mental capacity has grown.

(iii) How to reflect on the patience of continuing the dharma practice This point is about properly understanding the practice and putting efforts in it. What we have to learn is the objects of refuge (Buddha, dharma and sangha) and the two kinds of emptiness (emptiness of persons or beings and emptiness of phenomena or dharmas). What we want and what we seek is happiness: a better future life, out of samsara, and the total stage of buddhahood. What we are practicing is: avoiding non- virtues and developing virtues. What we meditate is: recognizing the obstacles on your path, recognizing the result you want, the ultimate buddha stage, and the method of achieving that, the bodhisattva way. To walk on those paths you need learning, pondering and meditating. This is the way you learn and practice. Any difficulties that come up, you do not allow to be an obstacle, do not let them make you chose the wrong priority. As a seeker of truth or a seeker of enlightenment our top priority is the practice.

Signs of development. As this is the bodhisattva path, it might not be a bad idea to say a little bit on signs of development. If you look into the five [Hinayana] paths you find signs of not returning to samsaric life:105 1) stream-enterer, 2) once-returner, 3) non-returner, and 4) the path of no-more-learning. Regarding the stage of non-returning there are many signs. One sign is that one will be happy to give one’s life for the sake of other beings or for the sake of the dharma. Those are people who can choose to give that kind of priority. We can’t even choose the dharma over a dinner appointment, just because that was fixed. This is what we call a ‘degenerated age’. The sign of a degenerated age is that we always like to leave aside the things that really benefit ourselves. Because there is no monetary benefit, because there is no deadline, or because it doesn’t make you lose your job etc., it is always the last choice for us. So the sign of not-returning is being able to even give up life for the benefit of other beings, for the dharma and all this. When Buddha in a former life as bodhisattva cut his wrist to feed the tigress, it was a sign that he

105 The four result stages in Hinayana. Also see chart 7 on p. 197.

122 Lam Rim Teachings had come through. Even though we can’t do that much, we have to be careful that our priority is right. That is very important. Don’t let any difficulty, whatever if might be, take over.

Again, remember: each paramita has to have the qualities of all six paramitas in it. So this one has to have: the generosity of patience, the morality of patience, the patience of patience, the enthusiasm of patience, the concentration of patience, the wisdom of patience. Then it becomes a solid bodhisattva way of functioning.

Overview of Lamrim III: the five paths and the goals, vajrayana, emptiness For the benefit of all mother sentient beings, we would like to obtain the ultimate buddha stage within the short period of our ordinary life, which is only possible if we have an extraordinary path, Vajrayana, which has a lot of special qualities. Yanas. According to Nagarjuna, Asanga and all the great Indian pandits, when we talk about the three yanas, we talk about pratyekayana, sravakayana and mahayana. Somehow in the west it is picked up to count the three yanas as Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. That is actually a wrong concept, although in the west it has sort of become commonly accepted.106 Even Trungpa Rinpoche does so. Hinayana is divided into two: sravaka-yana and pratyekabuddha-yana. Mahayana is also divided into two: sutra-mahayana and tantra-mahayana. Making Vajrayana separate from Mahayana is not right. At the level of Hinayana – in pratyekabuddhayana as well as sravakayana – the goal or result that is introduced to be achieved is the arhat level.

Paths.107 All three yanas have the five paths: 1) path of accumulation, 2) path of action, 3) path of seeing, 4) path of meditation, 5) path of no-more-learning. In each one of the yanas the paths have the same name and description, but the inside explanation is different. 1) The path of accumulation is different in Mahayana and Hinayana. 2) The path of action is also different in Mahayana and Hinayana. 3) The path of seeing is the seeing of emptiness. There is no difference between the emptiness in Hinayana and the emptiness in Mahayana and it is the same truth but the clarity might be different. 4) In the path of meditation the divisions and names are the same, but the subject is slightly different. 5) Then comes the path of no-more-learning: same name [but the level differs]. Some- times arhats are referred to as buddhas too; one of them is even named ‘pratyeka buddha’ [self-liberating buddha or solitary realizer]. They may be referred to or even named as buddha, but it is a different type of buddha. All these different names – ordinary enlightenment and extraordinary enlightenment, small vehicle, large vehicle – have come up because of the paths having the same names, yet being different. The buddha stage has not been mentioned as something which people of those two earlier yanas can achieve at all. Only Mahayana introduces buddhahood as something one can achieve. They go to the extent of saying, “Buddha himself has achieved it, so why not you and me?” Buddha is not a primordial buddha, not someone that has come from the top and landed on the ground. He started from the ground, went up from there and developed. Buddha himself said, In the beginning you and I were at an equal stage. Due to my diligence and enthusiastic efforts I have become a buddha. Due to your laziness, you have remained an ordinary person. And so you have to bow to me, the buddha who has achieved. There is no reason why those who are left out can’t try again. We can all achieve it. We have the same way. What is lacking is our enthusiasm. Our laziness takes over and that is why we are left out. Mahayana introduces the buddha stage as something you can achieve. How? It says, First you generate the bodhimind. Secondly you accumulate merit for three countless eons, And ultimately you obtain enlightenment, the buddha stage.

106 Because, from the practical point of view, the practitioner successively goes through these three. 107 Literature: Gehlek Rimpoche, Perfection of Wisdom Mantra.

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 123

That is the explanation of the sutra path of the Mahayana: Yes, you can become a buddha, but it will take you three countless eons to put efforts in accumulating merit as well as in purification. Actually in the sutra path there is nothing which is developing quickly, with the exception of the bodhisattva Tadu Ngu, the ‘bodhisattva always crying’. He was a disciple of the arya-bodhisattva Chöpa Dharmaraja and was able to achieve the first to seventh bhumi [bodhisattva level] by the sutra path alone. He was able to achieve that because of his guru-devotional practice, nothing else. His guru-devotional practice was beyond anyone’s comprehension. Wherever his teacher went to teach, he would always clean up, sweep the floor, clear the dust. You imagine, there is tremendous dust in India, in what is Bihar nowadays. Once he had no water, so he started cleaning with blood from his wrist. That strong guru-devotional practice made it possible that once in history somebody achieved stage one to seven in the sutra path only. There is no other example. In Vajrayana, on the other hand, we say that everyone can achieve buddhahood in one lifetime. It is possible, but not guaranteed. All the opportunities are provided. It is not talked out of fantasy nor is it talked out of craziness. It has been reality for a number of people and it could be reality continuously. Out of the twelve hundred official buddhas that appear within this fortunate eon, Sakyamuni Buddha definitely had this teaching, the eleventh buddha may have Vajrayana and the last one may have it: only three. That is why it is said, Vajrayana is even more rare than a buddha appearing as a buddha. I am sure you will say, “Alright, if the buddhas and bodhisattvas are dedicated and Vajrayana is the only method, why don’t all of them have it?” I don’t have an answer for that. Somehow when they generated the bodhimind for the first time, they didn’t include it. Manjushri is the only bodhisattva of the future official buddhas to have it; he will probably be the eleventh buddha, the ‘Buddha of the lion’s roar’. The future official buddha, Buddha Maitreya, doesn’t have it. Avalokiteshvara, who is considered the embodiment of compassion, sits there and says, “Look, I’ll wait for everybody to go, I am like a shepherd who will see all his sheep go up to the grassy lands first and then I will follow; until everybody obtains enlightenment I’ll sit here and wait.” So nobody opted for the Vajrayana. All the others coming officially won’t have it. The last official buddha may carry Vajrayana because the last one said, when he generated the bodhimind, “Whatever methods the twelve hundred official buddhas before me had, may I have all of them.” For that reason he or she may carry Vajrayana. So out of the twelve hundred buddhas Vajrayana is only going to appear about three times.

Audience: Some of the books mention Tsongkhapa as buddha-teacher of tantra. Rimpoche: That is the eleventh buddha. Audience: You said that was Manjushri. Rimpoche: No contradiction.

Buddhas appearing in the world. If you look into the sutras and tantras, you will see that when a buddha officially appears, a very strange flower, which normally doesn’t appear at all, is supposed to appear. The flower will grow when the buddha takes birth and as long as he goes through this normal exercise of the stages. It may be a Hindu-Buddhist myth. When you look at today’s life story of the Buddha, you’ll see that Buddha left the palace and went for six years for accumulation of merit and at the end of those six years he sat by the bodhitree, where in the evening he conquered the evil forces, during the night he meditated and by dawn he had achieved the buddha stage. That, of course, we put as an historical fact, but the thing that really happened is that these buddhas had already achieved the buddha stage long before. This is one of the ways in which they show the buddha activity to the future disciples, “You can do it this way.” So the buddhas conquered the forces of evil long before. They achieved the state of enlightenment long before. Sakyamuni Buddha chose to be reborn as the prince of Magadha in the state of Bihar, he chose to have these five hundred queens, he chose to have this son born six years later and he chose to have these twelve principle deeds of a buddha’s life. All of them were chosen activities.108 Each of the buddhas beforehand already chose a sort of pre-planned melodrama of life as a buddha, with which he likes to show all followers that one can achieve [buddhahood] that way. If buddha would appear as a buddha from the beginning, landing from the sky, it probably would not affect people at all.

108 Lalitavistara Sutra, The Voice of the Buddha, vol. I and II.

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This is the whole idea of the nirmanakaya, the manifested body. The tulkus are supposed to be like that. In the Tibetan language the word tulku means nirmanakaya. Nowadays you see that incarnate lamas are sometimes called tulku, like Tarab Tulku and so on. They are supposed to be pre-fabricated [buddhas]. That is how buddhas show the people how they can achieve.

Achieving the buddha stage through Vajrayana. All this can be achieved within a very short period through the Vajrayana stages. I’ll give you a slight hint here. Even in Vajrayana you can’t skip the five paths. You have to have the path of accumulation, the path of action, the path of seeing, the path of meditation, the path of no-more-learning. But how is it done? The path of accumulation is covered by making offerings. Making efforts will cover the path of action. Entering into the mandala, seeing the mandala, will cover the path of seeing. Meditating whatever you have seen and what you have understood accordingly, will cover the path of meditation. Ultimately achieving the union will cover the path of no-more-learning. So Vajrayana has very easy ways. With all of those it is possible to achieve the buddha stage through the Vajrayana practice; it is the only convenient chance, the only possibility for people like us in a highly civilized world. I don’t think it is possible for us to go and wait for three countless eons to accumulate merit. I don’t think we have that much guts. So this is the only possible way for us. And we are fortunate enough to catch the end of the Va- jrayana thread. It is really going now, so to be able to catch that and to make it a sort of living practice is very fortunate indeed. However, to utilize Vajrayana, you need a strong solid base, which has two paths: the wisdom path and the method path. If there is no wisdom, there is no question of Vajrayana. Vajrayana begins with ‘all is empty’. And when you say, ‘all is empty’ and it is just a blank empty, then nothing can grow out of it. So wisdom is absolutely necessary. Whether you gain that wisdom in the Mahayana or the Hinayana style doesn’t matter.

Levels of seeing emptiness. The wisdom of emptiness has to be two-fold: wisdom based on self as a being and wisdom based on other than beings: gangzagi dagme and chökyi dagme109, so emptiness of beings, or persons, and emptiness of phenomena. It doesn’t matter which of the two emptinesses you develop, whichever is easier for you to develop, the one is good enough for the other. It says, If you see emptiness in one thing, then you can see emptiness in all other things. Seeing the emptiness has a lot of different levels. The first level is: truly knowing emptiness. By learning you get some kind of understanding. Then you build up that understanding and make it solid. That is called don spyi [meaning-generality]: understanding the words and from that understanding you are getting some kind of idea to hold on to. If people talk about something you build a picture in your head – either a physical form of picture or a literature form or some comprehensive idea. The understanding of whatever picture you get in your head is called don spyi; you have some kind of understanding which follows on learning. That is a stage. It is a human thought process. That is called emptiness grabbed in the style of understanding [an abstract concept], don spyi, meaning: you have not clearly [directly] seen it. There are two things actually: sgra spyi and don spyi. Sgra spyi means: you have only heard of it, you have not seen anything, but you built up some kind of understanding on the basis of hearing. Suppose somebody describes a person to you: he is short, fat etc. and you have never seen a picture, you build up an image within you. That image is called sgra spyi, it follows the sound description. Your first understanding of emptiness will come that way. The second step is [like] you have not yet met a person, but you have seen a picture of the person, which was then taken away from you. On the basis of that you project some idea, which is a better projection than the description in words. That is called don spyi: you have the whole picture, a correct picture. At the level of the picture formed from hearing, you might or might not have it correct, but at this level it has become a little better. Somehow you do have a correct picture, but your image might not be completely correct. When you have to understand emptiness you have to go that way. First: learning; second: project- ing; third: actually seeing emptiness.

109 Transliteration: gang zag gi bdag med and chos kyi bdag med

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 125

The actual seeing of emptiness is also divided in three stages: the preliminary stage, the actual stage and the end-stage [or aftermath]. In the preliminary stage you do not totally encounter with emptiness, you sort of face it. In the actual stage you are absorbed in emptiness; at that stage you will see nothing but emptiness. Practically all relative part of it you don’t see at all; that is totally blocked. You are totally absorbed in the emptiness. You see emptiness directly, but you see nothing else. Rising out of that absorption you are able to see the relative part again [and you will see it] as relative truth. I might as well mention the following. If you rise out of that [absorption in emptiness] and you find that the relative truth has changed, i.e. you find it is no longer relative truth but it looks like empty, then something has gone wrong with your emptiness and you have to re-check. Because: if emptiness defeats the purpose of existence, you have gone nihilistic, you’ve gone too far to the nihilistic side. You will only know that when you rise from that total absorption in emptiness. Things may be different, but relative truth is relative truth, you have to function in it. If at that level you are functioning crazy, then you have gone wrong. There are difficulties in adjusting to the relative level, but relativity should be able to function as relativity. After that, that absorption of emptiness will remain as a memory type of level. That is the actual path of seeing. Such a thing is possible, if you are lucky enough. So you need a tremendous amount of luck and that is why purification and accumulation of merit is important. If you are not lucky enough, if your luck cannot support you, then even if you put tremendous efforts into it and you are totally dedicated and sincere, it is not possible. The support of luck is needed. That is the wisdom part.

Then of course, again, the other part, the bodhimind, the bodhisattva activities, compassion, love, dedication, all of them are necessary. If those are not there, the Vajrayana practice will simply produce a powerful ghost, nothing else. Then it can really produce a true demon too, very powerful but with no kindness, no compassion, no love, cold-blooded turkey cut. Then you have produced a spiritual monster. You have not produced spiritual achievement, but a spiritual monster. There are a number of correspondences of Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, my late teacher, published in the collected works of Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. It is in Tibetan, but very nice. During Kyabje Trijang Rin- poche’s lifetime with any question we had, we just went to him and you were sure to get an answer within ten days. Sometimes he was scolding in his answer, “Read such and such a book.” There was a fellow in Bomdela who was meditating and had asked a lot of questions about the Vajra- yana techniques and difficulties and Kyabje Rinpoche answered all these questions and at the end he said, very politely, “These are the answers to your questions, but my suggestion is you do something in the preliminary level – the man had started Vajrayana straightaway – and you handle the bodhimind a little more this and that way.” After about twenty letters the fellow had grounded down and was speaking more on the level of compassion and bodhimind, and then when going up to Vajrayana, the later answers of Kyabje Rinpoche became much more detailed. This shows how much he stressed the basic foundation. In one of the letters he even clearly says, “If you don’t pay attention to the basic love-compassion, you will produce a spiritual monster.” That is true. Vajrayana is great; there are tremendous techniques and it is wonderful, but when applied without the proper foundation of the altruistic attitude plus emptiness, it is like a castle built on ice.

The wisdom part of it does not depend on whether you have bodhimind or not. In Tsongkhapa’s teaching tradition, however, you don’t present the wisdom until you’ve presented properly the compassion and love and the renunciation (or determination to be free), very simply because then the wisdom can be picked up very easily. Wisdom does depend on renunciation but does not depend on love-compassion. So you have persons who have encountered emptiness, yet have not developed love-compassion. That is not very useful but it exists. Some of the Buddhist texts are interesting on that; they call those people the extremely intelligent ones, in other words: the overly intelligent ones. That is the polite way of saying. There is a long verse on that in Nagarjuna’s Ratnavali, The Precious Garland. So all has to be based on bodhimind and emptiness. Building of bodhimind and emptiness has to be based on diligent efforts, the fourth paramita, today’s subject.

126 Lam Rim Teachings iv) Paramita of diligence [Skt. virya] (1) What diligence is If one wears the armour of unrelenting perseverance, Qualities of learning and insight will increase like the waxing moon, All activities will become meaningful And all works begun will reach completion. Knowing this, the Bodhisattva applies himself To vast perseverance, dispeller of apathy. I, a yogi, did that myself; You, O liberation seeker, should do likewise. Je Tsongkhapa, Song of the Stages in Spiritual Practice [Lamrim Dudon], vs. 18 What is diligence? Tsongkhapa says, according to Asanga’s Bodhisattvabhumi, In order to help and be of service for the benefit of sentient beings one has to be very enthusiastic and has to enjoy doing it. With enthusiasm and with happiness moving towards that direction making use of the body, mind and speech, that is what diligence is. In other words, there is no laziness. You are putting in total effort.

(2) Classification: three different types of diligence (a) Diligence like armor When one has a commitment to dharma practice, one should not have a small heart. You should have a big heart and make a big commitment, “If, for the benefit of sentient beings, I will have to remain for countless eons in the hell realm, I will bear it, I will do it.” That sort of very big commitment you give and then whatever tiny little thing comes up – a little headache here, a little pressure, little doubts and scarings – it may not be able to shake your basic desire of helping other beings as well as your commitment to practice dharma and develop yourself. Since we have a bigger commitment, any other small thing that comes in between, you can just observe and see it is nothing. If I am willing to go and live in the hell realm for the benefit of one single sentient being for a number of eons, what is a little headache, a little pressure or some insult? Nothing! Small things won’t bother you; you will not be shaken in your basic principle. That is why it is called armor-like enthusiasm. The way you protect it, it says, is this, Since I am having a commitment to obtain enlightenment, I need to benefit other beings; and vice versa: to benefit other beings I need enlightenment. If I have committed that I will [if necessary] even go [to hell] for a number of eons and I am waiting to do this, then small little problems for a short period are not going to shake me. That way you make a sort of very heroic type of commitment.

(b) Diligence of commitment to virtuous activities That is the effort to accomplish the six paramitas. If there is no diligence, then there is not much to achieve. No matter how great the wisdom you may have, if you do not have diligent enthusiastic efforts, then your great wisdom or great intelligence is nothing, useless. Tibetans have a saying, If you don’t have the fourth paramita and you have the sixth one, wisdom, it is like a dead body – useless. It is true, even in my personal experience. I can memorize things easily, but I don’t have much enthusiastic effort on that. Like learning English. I read like two or three lines and quit, because I have to put too much effort in. I have been very fortunate. In childhood I was beaten all the time and made to memorize. Those memorized things I have not forgotten; I have forgotten some things, but still there is enough I remember. Whenever I have to give teachings I never prepare. Sometimes I read a little bit, like I intended to last night, but I didn’t. That is me. So I very much lack diligence. I have been fortunate enough to have some kind of good wisdom and have been able to pick up and understand easily. I have memorized and studied earlier and somehow it remained there and somehow it comes up; even if I don’t remember the exact words, it comes up okay.

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 127

It is true, if you don’t have diligent effort, no matter how much intellectual capacity you may have, it is totally useless. I can speak English okay, not bad, not because I put in effort, but because I am in the situation I have to use it. I can’t read and write it, though. Why? Because I lack the enthusiasm for it. So judging from my angle, if you are studying or practicing and if you don’t put the diligent effort in, then you’re going to be like I am in English. Many of you may not have that capacity that I had to pick things up. I don’t want to blow my own trumpet, but I doubt whether you have it. You know, in the monastery my teacher used to bring the pages I had to do. They picked the twenty or thirty pages I had to do with a needle and when I was young it took me two hours to memorize them. When I came to Dharamsala in the early sixties His Holiness asked me something and said, “You may have memorized everything.” I said, “No.” He said, “Why not, I heard so much [about you] in Tibet.” I said, “Yes but not over here.” Nobody was beating me any more, so I was not putting any effort in. That is what happens. The technique of memorizing is another thing. You memorize and think over carefully what is following what and memorize that. Two or three times you read it and it gets into your head, then you repeat it two or three times without thinking and it will come on your tongue. Then in the evening you repeat it once, the next morning you repeat it once, that night you repeat it once and the morning after you repeat it maybe or maybe not. And then, if you occasionally try to remember it, it remains somewhere. If you don’t look back at all, it completely goes away. I’ll tell you a funny story. I would memorize things and I had to repeat them in the evening. But I fell asleep all the time. So my teacher made me stand up and even then I used to fall asleep. But I would not break [the recitation]; the memorizing session would go from beginning to end, and whatever the book was, I went through all of it. Finally he made me stand in the window of a three-story building. Then I learned a trick. I could lean back and sleep and say the text, together. And I had an attendant who would come and pick me down and he said I was always asleep there. I did that for a number of years every day. Luckily I never fell down. So, you may be gifted and have intelligence, but if you don’t have diligence, then that is it. If you do have diligence or you are obligated to do it, then you can do it. Believe me, if I had not been obligated to teach people, I wouldn’t have started to. I really like to lie down and enjoy myself. Why not? But it sort of happens that you go round, start teaching, a number of people come and they almost depend on you so you have to worry about it. That way you are sort of forced [to teach]. As a matter of fact it is as good as beating; it has the same effect.

This driving enthusiasm leads you towards completing the six paramitas. If you want to do a retreat, that enthusiasm should be there to be able to complete it. If you want to do a meditation and practice, get yourself out of samsara and be on your own feet, diligence should come in there and push you. If you don’t have that, you’ll have small problems and you sort of drop out. So it is diligence that you need.

(3) How to develop diligence within the individual Now I have to depend on the book, because I did not develop it in myself.

(a) Reflecting on the benefits of diligence or enthusiasm Tsongkhapa quotes here from Buddha Maitreya’s Mahayanasutralamkara.110 It says: The best of all virtues is enthusiasm, because: Any achievement you need has to be brought up by enthusiasm. Enthusiasm will bring the peace and pleasure. Enthusiasm brings you ordinary and extraordinary accomplishments. Enthusiasm makes your wishes to get fulfilled, whatever your wishes will be.

110 ch. 16, vs. 65-66. For English translations see list of Literature in volume II

128 Lam Rim Teachings

[Enthusiasm will make you pure.] Enthusiasm will free us from the fears. Enthusiasm will deliver you the stage of enlightenment. For the buddha stage you do need enthusiasm. Once I was talking to one of my late teachers, Kyabje Gomo Rinpoche, about nyung ne. He gave me the book on it and said, “Nyung ne is not meant for you.” I said, “Why?” He said, “You are not going to do nyung ne anyway; you are lacking diligent efforts for that and also it is not necessary for you, but if you still like to do it, here is the book.” I did it only once since I came to Ann Arbor. Lack of enthusiasm. Tsongkhapa continuously quotes here further from the same source: If you have effortless enthusiasm, there is nothing which you cannot achieve. Even in the west you say, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” That sounds the same to me. If you put efforts in constantly, all samadhis111 you need, you’ll also get. Your achievements will be like an extraordinary flower; far better than ordinary. It is the diligence that does it.

(b) Reflecting on the disadvantages of laziness How do you meditate? Like we said before: meditate on the advantages of having it and the disadvantages of not having it and then compare them, balance them and draw a conclusion. The problem with me is, having continuously been beaten in childhood, I never made a complete conclusion by myself that I have to be very diligent. I did not, because I was pushed all the time, I have been cared for on that. It has an advantage, I have been able to pick up very much. But it has the disadvantage that I never sort of made my own conclusion that I have to do it, so I can quit any time. In order to avoid that you have to think and meditate on the advantages and disadvantages, balance them, draw a conclusion and stick to it.

1) With laziness achieving the buddha stage is extremely far away. That we know. If we do not put in any effort, we’re not going to get anything. 2) With laziness we will not have generosity etc. up to wisdom. 3) With laziness we will not be able to help other beings. The sutra of mindfulness says, All delusions have one base, which is laziness. All delusions that we have are based on laziness. So whoever has this laziness, doesn’t get dharma. When I use the word laziness, you probably think of a big fat guy sitting on a sofa. It is not that. Enthusiasm is necessary to achieve spiritual results and achieving the buddha stage; so anything which sort of delays you from that is laziness. Therefore, our wrong priorities are part of laziness. Particularly having a lot of commitments: doing this, going there, what I call ‘being busy-lazy’ is the western kind of laziness. You set yourselves a lot of deadlines, a lot of commitments, and then you have to compete with the time-limits. You really push yourselves a lot. Earlier in my childhood in Tibet, in the Lhasa area, the majority of people would go by foot and when you ride a horse, it is really fast. Then you start riding a bicycle, then the motorcycle and you think a horse is slow. Then a motorcar was good enough, and now you have to rush to get a plane all the time. Actually it is laziness in the form of busy-ness that takes over. What happens? Having so many things to do takes the time and energy away from us and what we drop is the practice. Because there is no deadline, there is no monetary gain or loss, so there is no direct consequence to see. The future life or our spiritual development is sort of “Okay, if we get it, great; if we don’t get it, well, I tried,” so it is the first thing on the list to be dropped. So being busy-lazy is the biggest laziness of the western people.

(c) Recognizing the obstacles in developing diligence: three types of laziness In order to develop this great enthusiasm for spiritual practice there are some outstanding obstacles. 1) Laziness of discouragement. “Well, spiritual achievement is something I can’t understand, I am confused, I can’t do it…” That is the intimidated mind. Or maybe you look at the qualities of the Buddha and

111 Meditative concentrations.

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 129 all this and think, “It is great, but it is not for me. I just can’t imagine how I am going to be like that. It is beyond my scope.” That is fear-laziness. You are actually afraid of even making the attempt. You may think, “Buddha, yes, great, but look at the life-stories behind; a number of times he has given his hand or body to feed animals. That is not for me. I can’t do that.” When you have this sort of in- timidation-laziness, then you have to see what choices we have: either to take these steps and get ourselves totally free of all the problems we are facing or constantly, continuously remaining in a pit of shit like today. If you want to be like a pig constantly, fine, then behave like an pig. But if you want to be better, then that is the choice you have. Not only that; these sort of things like taking your eyeball out, you don’t have to do immediately. These type of things you can do when you can. The question is that there will be a time that each one of us will be able to do that without any difficulty, without any pain. Full of joy you’ll do it. Until we have developed that, we won’t have to do it. So why be afraid of something which is not going to happen and when it happens won’t be a problem. Look at it that way and probably you can overcome [this obstacle]. Also we mentioned this morning that the Buddha himself is not some primordial buddha, he is an ordinary being like us who has worked and come up. Buddha himself has said: Even a person who is much weaker, much lower, much more angry, much more jealous, much worse than me, can also obtain buddhahood. Also, bodhisattvas who remain for a long time in samsara, do not suffer samsaric pain. Even though they are there and you see them, the samsaric pains don’t get them as much as the other pains get us. Think about this: if they don’t have sufferings on their mind when they remain in samsara, what problem is there? So you don’t have to worry about it. Things like that may be able to help to cut the obstacles. 2) Laziness of procrastination. You may say, “Well, I may be able to do it, but I could also do it tomorrow.” Tomorrow is never going to come. If you want to do it, you have to do it now. If you don’t do it now, forget it. If somebody tells you, “I’ll give you something in future” you don’t have to be happy. If somebody tells you, “I’ll beat you later” you don’t have to worry about it. Tomorrow, for us, will be an endless tomorrow. That is called procrastination or delay. 3) Laziness of wrong priorities. Even though you realize you don’t have much time, you have your priorities, “O yes, this is important, but I have to complete this thing first.” That is choosing the wrong priority. As the earlier part of the Lamrim says, the samsaric worldly activities are like the waves of the ocean, coming one after another all the time. It is not going to end; it has been going on as the years went and it will continue as the years go. Similarly, all our attractions come one after the other. The television is one example. I tried to compete with the TV. I watched it and watched it but it is never finishing; one after another thing goes by, it is never ending. If we cannot cut the laziness, we get defeated. Laziness of busy-ness with non-dharma work is probably our main form of laziness.

How to handle laziness. How can we handle the problem of “I still have time and will do it tomorrow”? That is the beginning of our Lamrim practice: embracing human life, impermanence, particularly the uncertainty of death, and after death the lower realms as well as it being difficult to find such an opportunity again etc. These are the first three steps immediately after the guru devotion. Those can set the ‘tomorrow, tomorrow’ business back. How can we handle the problem of choosing priorities? There you have to have a proper understanding and proper recognition of dharma as a source of joy for life after life. Also recognize the waste of time with gossip, reading newspapers and whatever. All these things are not just useless, but you lose a tremendous amount of precious time through which you can accomplish and achieve something. Remember, when we recognize the importance of life and we begin to see what time we are wasting, we cannot bear it. And when we recognize the difficulty to find such a life, we cannot sit idly. Remember? It shows you these foundations are important. At this stage we must have mastered that.

130 Lam Rim Teachings

(d) Four powers to develop diligence or enthusiasm 1) Aspiration. Making up your mind. If you make a good choice on the basis of the karmic law, your diligence will develop. 2) Steadfastness. You don’t want to do all sorts of different things. Stick to one thing at the time carefully, rather than doing this and doing that. Atisha very often said, I find a big difference between Tibetans and Indians. The Indians have one deity, one commitment, one practice; they achieve. Tibetans have hundred deities, hundred practices and get nothing. The same goes for us. If you try to have many commitments, you are not going to get the result. Some- times you have to leave some things. Can you sit for four hours to get everything done? And even so, what are you going to achieve? If I do all my commitments one by one nicely and detailed, it may take four hours. Then, if in addition to that you take a lot more commitments, it is not great. Not great at all. So the power of enthusiasm here is not to take so many varieties, but to channel all your energy into one direction. That is very important. So whatever you do, observe carefully before you go, and once you go, complete it. 3) Joy. You have to somehow make whatever you practice, interesting to yourself. Make it fun, like kids do. Tsongkhapa gives an example here: when kids are playing it is difficult to get them away from their play. That much interest we should generate. That builds power. 4) Relaxation. You have to be able to do it again. If you are tired, take a rest and then start again. That sort of enthusiasm you need.

One more thing about enthusiasm: When you are inspired, you make a big deal out of it, but then it goes away. That doesn’t work at all. Enthusiasm should be continuous like a good source of water. Not too big, like in the rainy season, and not too little, like in the dry season. It should be continuous, like a river running. When you are inspired and do a lot and then suddenly you get burned out, that won’t do any good; neither to yourself nor for others. It is not an example and it is not good for the community. So from the beginning one goes not too much but constantly. Constant effort pays. Like doing the food offering at every meal. If you do that constant effort day by day, it is filling your bucket. Don’t forget. Real diligence is a constant effort. Particularly in the dharma practice that is very important. Practitio- ners do practice every day; that is very important. Even if you skip one day, make sure you do it the next day. Don’t say, “I skipped yesterday, I might as well skip it today.” Don’t! Daily work applied with enthusiasm is going to make the difference. When you put in constant efforts, you get constant achievements. When you cannot put constant efforts – a few days you do more, a few days you do less, a few days you don’t do it at all – it is not going to lead you anywhere; then the spiritual path is very very far away. Dili- gence is one of the definitely necessary things. As I mentioned to you: if there is no diligence, wisdom and all others things will become like a dead body.

Short introduction into the last two paramitas112 v) Paramita of concentration [Skt. samadhi or dhyana; Tib. sam-tän] Meditative concentration is the king to rule the mind. When stabilized, it sits like a mountain; When directed, it can enter all virtuous meditations; And it leads to every physical and mental joy. Knowing this, great yogis always rely upon it, The destroyer of the enemy mental wandering: I, a yogi, did that myself; You, O liberation seeker, should do likewise. Je Tsongkhapa, Song of the Stages in Spiritual Practice [Lamrim Dudon], vs. 19 The fifth paramita is the stage of samadhi [Tib. sam-tän]. Sam is mind and tän is stable, so stable mind or concentration.

112 The last two paramitas are the subject of the next chapter.

The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 131

The actual fifth paramita is known as zhinay and it is supposed to be equivalent to shamatha. Zhi is the word for peace, nay is to remain, so the direct translation is: remaining in peace. The dictionary says on zhinay: shamatha. The peace here means to pacify your mind that is wandering towards or losing itself in an external object or subject. You make your mind not to go that way but to remain ‘inside’, which means you keep it with whatever you are concentrating on. Zhi is not having the obstacle of external attractions drawing your mind away. So, pacifying the external obstacles or distractions, and remaining single- pointedly on whatever you are concentrating on, that is the basic idea of zhinay. So, the fifth paramita – whether it is shamatha or not – is called samtän [samadhi]. It is almost like a stable mind and the actual nature of the stable mind here is zhinay [calm abiding or meditative equipoise]. vi) Paramita of wisdom [Skt. prajna; Tib. she-rab] Wisdom is the eye to see thatness, The practice which pulls out samsara’s root, The treasure of excellences praised in all scriptures, A supreme lamp to dispel dark ignorance. Knowing this, the wise, seeking freedom, Dedicate every effort to generating it. I, a yogi, did that myself; You, O liberation seeker, should do likewise. Je Tsongkhapa, Song of the Stages in Spiritual Practice [Lamrim Dudon], vs. 20 The sixth paramita is the wisdom paramita and the actual nature of the wisdom is lhag-tong. Lhag-tong is supposed to be equivalent to vipasyana. Lhag means special and tong is seeing, so it means: special seeing. The dictionary says on lhag-tong: vipasyana, of which the basis or cause is the system of meditation. Lhag-tong means: the special nature of all phenomena seen by the special wisdom eye. These are supposed to be the equivalent of shamatha and vipasyana. I keep on saying ‘supposed to be’ and there is a reason for that. When you go to vipasyana teachers, like Joseph Goldstein, I don’t know whether they teach lhagtong or not.113 That is why Thurman likes to call this maha-vipasyana, the greater vipasyana. So far we have been doing a lot on Pabongka’s Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand with some additions of Tsongkhapa’s big Lamrim and small Lamrim, the Fifth Dalai Lama’s Lamrim Jampel Zahlung, the two Panchen Lamas’ Quick Path and Smooth or Joyful Path. From now on I would like to go a little bit according to Tsongkhapa’s Lamrim Chungba, his medium Lamrim actually, commonly known as his ‘shorter Lamrim’, in which the two last paramitas, concentration and wisdom, are combined together.

113 Although the terminology used is the same, the aims and methods do differ.

Manjushri – embodiment of wisdom

XXIV THE LAST TWO PARAMITAS: CONCENTRATION AND WISDOM114

But the power to cut samsara's root Lies not in single-pointed concentration alone; And wisdom divorced of the path of mental quiescence Reverses not delusion, though it may try. Wisdom searching for ultimate truth Should ride the horse of unwavering samadhi And with the sharp weapon of Madhyamika reason Should totally destroy grasping at extremes. With vast wisdom that searches thus, Expand the mind understanding suchness. I, a yogi, did that myself; You, O liberation seeker, should do likewise. Je Tsongkhapa, Song of the Stages in Spiritual Practice [Lamrim Dudon], vs. 21-23

The learning part [of Buddhism] will not end until you become enlightened. The working part of it – helping other beings – is never going to end until every sentient being is fully enlightened, so it is a bottomless ocean. In the meantime it is great we have this and you cannot do anything better than practice it, so be very happy about it. We’ll go according to Tsongkhapa’s Lamrim Chungba, in which the two last paramitas, concentration and wisdom, are combined together115. b) Specific training in the last two paramitas i) Benefits of the last two paramitas In one of the sutras that explains Buddha’s thoughts, the Samdhinirmocana Sutra116, it says: All samsaric and non-samsaric qualities of Hinayana and Mahayana are the result of either zhinay117 or lhagtong118. In his Lamrim Chungba119, Tsongkhapa raises a question here. When you talk about the combination of zhinay and lhagtong, you use the word zhi-lhag, so he raises the question: Isn’t zhi-lhag itself the result of meditation, a quality you gain from meditation? So then, how can all qualities be the result of these two or of either one of them? Tsongkhapa further explains:

114 Literature on the last two paramitas combined: Geshe Thubten Loden, Path to Enlightenment, p. 789-796; Tsongkhapa, The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Lamrim Chenmo, vol. III, p. 13-26. Specific literature is mentioned on each of those two separately. 115 Translation of this piece of Tsongkhapa’s Middle Stages of the Path to Enlightenment can be found in: Robert Thurman, Life and Teachings of Tsongkhapa, p. 108-115. If not stated otherwise, all quotations on the outlines one to five of the last two paramitas together are from the Lamrim chungba. Also in B. Alan Wallace, The Bridge to Quiescence. 116 For English translations see list of Literature in volume II 117 Calm abiding. 118 Special insight. 119 Literally ‘the shorter Lamrim’. However, as his shortest Lamrim is de Lamrim du don, this is often called the medium one. 134 Lam Rim Teachings The actual zhinay or the actual lhagtong are definitely the result of meditation, so it is not possible that all qualities of Mahayana and Hinayana are the result of these two. However, once you have a good recognizable concentration power, then whatever quality you gain out of it thereafter, will be in the category of the result of zhinay and lhagtong. Anything that grows on whatever recognizable power to concentrate you have, can be put under the category of zhinay and any recognizable analytical thing you do thereafter, whether relative or absolute, will come under the category of lhagtong. Because of that Buddha’s statement that “all qualities of the three yanas are the result of zhi-lhag” is not wrong. The way Tsongkhapa puts it is very intellectual. He brings one statement of Buddha in, raises questions and doubts, brings up arguments and then puts forward reasons why Buddha’s statement is right. Some- times he puts up a certain statement of Buddha and will say, “This is not a straightforward statement, this has some different meaning. Buddha’s thinking was different while making that statement” and then he brings in reasons for it. That is Tsongkhapa’s style. That is why people sometimes remark that the Gelugpa are great for debating and nothing else.

What do lhagtong and zhinay do? Tsongkhapa uses the word gom, meditation, here in the past tense, “one who is completely familiarized, one who is used to it.” This is why when you ask teachers who are following Tsongkhapa’s tradition “what is meditation?”, they will say, “It is not a big deal, it is getting used to.” You get a very simple statement: getting used to, getting familiarized. Some others may make a big deal out of it and say, “Meditation is something deep, profound, secret, mystical”, but Tsongkhapa has the system that gom is ‘getting used to it’ and gom in the past tense is: ‘you got used to it’. In other words, in zhinay you try to train your mind in not getting distracted unnecessarily. You just train your mind to be able to think on the subject or object you are concentrating on, to be able to make use of [your mind]. What does zhinay do? It provides the capability for the mind to grow in the opposite direction of where you don’t want it to grow. [It trains] the capacity of the mind to be able to observe, to analyze, to study and go deeper into the subject that you used to not want to; to be able to cut that, reduce that. Not only to reduce that, but even to reduce the imprint of it. That is why meditation directly reduces the delusions; and even the imprints of the delusions get reduced. What does lhagtong do? Lhagtong takes you away from wrongly perceiving the truth, from wrongly perceiving the true nature of all phenomena. In short, zhinay’s work is to make you withdraw from the undesirable objects that you want to concentrate on and lhagtong will cut the wrong perception. That much Tsongkhapa has given on the first outline, the benefits. Tsongkhapa’s style is to always put it in negative terminology. So zhinay reduces the mind’s capability to go deeply into things you don’t want it to go into. So, naturally the opposite of that is that you gain the concentration on the thing you want to concentrate on. Lhagtong will cut the wrong perception, so you will get the opposite of it: the true seeing.

Mental pliancy or suppleness. What do these, both zhinay and lhagtong, do? They bring a tremendous joy to body and mind both. For these joys that you bring in the body and mind, is a name: shin jang120. There are two kinds: lus shin jang and sems shin jang121 – body [pliancy] and mind [pliancy]. The mind shin jang makes your mind tremendously joyful, happy, peaceful and satisfied. The body shin jang brings tremendous pleasure in the body; it makes your body very light, and that is why you’ll be able to fly. Flying is nothing but riding on the air waves, so you’ll be able to do that. And it is also full of joy. I hate to use the word bliss here, because that is special for Vajrayana. I don’t think it is bliss here, but it is definitely far better than the ordinary pleasures we look for, from ordinary massage to sexuality. It goes far beyond that. That is why people who develop this, will have no interest in sex whatsoever. That sort of bodily pleasure and mental pleasure, yet with alertness and control, that state of mind, tremendously clear, lucid and in control [is what you gain].

120 Transliteration: shing sbyang. In Meditations on Emptiness, Jeffrey Hopkins translates it as ‘pliancy’. 121 Transliteration: lus shin sbyang (pleasure of the body) and sems shin sbyang (pleasure of the mind).

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 135 The difference between what you get from the use of certain materials like drugs and what you get from the meditative state at that level, is the control. Not only the lucidity, not only the clarity and capability of seeing beyond, but also the control. And it does not have any side-effects. So it is far better than using drugs or sex. And then of course it reduces the delusions automatically. So whatever you do at that stage will become tremendously virtuous, almost every single thing you do is going to be for your benefit. Compared with enlightenment or getting out of samsara or even the determination to be free, this is a stage you can easily achieve. It is a kind of package of which you can even say, “Well, that is my goal.” And it is probably an answer for our problems, our mental problems, companionship, family, emotional problems, work, study, exams, whatever; probably it is an answer for all of those. That doesn’t mean you give up everything and go for that, okay? Try to do it at the side. But those who don’t have work can probably spend a lot of time on that; it would be very useful.

Lhagtong is difficult, but zhinay is not that difficult at all. When the time and conditions are right, it could easily be done within a year. First read more about the benefits of zhi-lhag. And then really build a strong interest to build up the zhi-lhag properly. Really, it gives you tremendous harmony. I am not going to say it is the enlightened state; it is not. Even when the actual lhagtong develops and you’ll probably see the true nature of emptiness face to face, it doesn’t mean you are an enlightened being. One really has to be careful about that, because particularly in the west a number of people say so. ii) How it is the basis of all meditation systems All meditational developments of the Hinayana and Mahayana paths somehow fall in the category of zhinay and lhagtong. A tremendous amount of different meditation practices have been given by Buddha’s different teachings. It is absolutely impossible to look into and comprehend all the hundreds of thousands of different meditations that Buddha taught in the different sutras. Zhinay and lhagtong are the two categories that basically cover the whole mechanical system of meditational practice. iii) Actual recognition of zhinay and lhagtong What is zhinay? Tsongkhapa here chooses to introduce a commentary on the long Samdhinirmocana Su- tra. In short, what zhinay is, Zhinay is concentrating on one thing, holding your mind from running here and there, concentrating continuously for a longer period, and when your mind is trained to remain for a longer period in the manner you want it to be, remaining on that almost effortlessly, then because of that being able to bring shin-jang in body and mind and when that is brought in, having the mind focused single-pointedly. That position in which you have shin-jang of both body and mind, and you are able to concentrate without interruption inside, is basically the zhinay. Zhinay is not necessary able to see the true nature. It is just being able to hold [the object of concentration] and bring this harmony and shin-jang of body and mind. When you have that, that is zhinay.

What is lhagtong? The continuation from the same Samdhinirmocana Sutra: Then on top of having the capability of holding and using the focus whenever and on whatever you want, lhagtong is being able to analyze different things, do a sort of microscopic screening of phenomena or self, of the relative as well as the absolute [nature] of anything that exists, being able to also do profound as well as vast analyzing. The sutra called The Cloud of Enlightened Beings says that zhinay is single-pointed concentration, while lhagtong is analyzing, screening, microscopically looking. Tsongkhapa has a way of putting a lot of quotations on top of each other. He now quotes Maitreya: Zhinay is concentration and lhagtong is screening and analyzing.

136 Lam Rim Teachings From the Buddhist point of view, both concentrating and analyzing have to be done on a proper object. Proper here in the sense that it has to be virtuous. Even though basically you can use zhinay on any object, from the yak’s horn to the cow’s dung, for it to be a paramita you have to keep in mind it should be pure, good, virtuous.

Levels of seeing emptiness122. Total achievement of lhagtong implies seeing emptiness. You will not achieve lhagtong unless you have seen emptiness. But seeing emptiness has a lot of different levels. You can see emptiness through understanding, you can see emptiness in the form of memory, you can see emptiness face to face directly. Let me make that a little more clear. Seeing emptiness in the understanding way. That means that if you study the emptiness, think about it, read and discuss it, you gain some kind of understanding, “Ha, emptiness means something like that.” That understanding, tong nyi don spyi tog pa, is known as getting a sort of general idea, also called: getting an understanding of emptiness. Direct encounter with emptiness. I usually call that seeing the emptiness face to face. That is a direct concentration on emptiness. It will probably have no other subject or object coming in the mind of that individual; your mind is completely focused. Probably the concentrator, the concentration and what you concentrate on almost becomes oneness. During that period the subject you observe, emptiness, and the mind that observes the emptiness, almost becomes the same. I am using the word ‘almost’ because there is no difference that you can see. A number of people misinterpret that as a direct encounter with the mind. In a direct encounter with emptiness, you probably see nothing, hear nothing. That is what all this “no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind” etc. [in the Heart Sutra] refers to. During that period nothing is there; it is all gone, although you have your form body and everything there. It was stated by one of the lamas of the lineage that somebody, while in a meeting of saying prayers or in a teaching meeting, had a direct encounter with emptiness and it was noticed that the person was trying to hold the cloth, making sure it was there. When you directly encounter emptiness, you probably see nothing. When you are enlightened that ‘seeing nothing’ has changed. You see the emptiness of everything plus you also see the direct existence of everything together, simultaneously. That is why we say that the direct encounter with both truths together is the absolute special quality of enlightened beings. Until you become enlightened you don’t see that; when you are enlightened you are able to see both together. Until you are fully enlightened, encountering the absolute truth will block the relative truth and the relative truth will probably block the absolute truth. That is the difference between enlightened and non-enlightened beings. Emptiness in the form of ‘memory’. After the direct encounter with emptiness, once you wake up from that state, you function and you do not directly encounter with emptiness [any longer]. However, you have the understanding of emptiness carrying with you while you are dealing with the relative things. That is the third kind of understanding I was mentioning. I used the word memory but it is not really a memory; it is sort of ‘living inside’.

Tsongkhapa goes further and quotes many more sutras and commentaries. That is Tsongkhapa’s style. He produces a reasoning and proves that reasoning by quoting different things. He says, According to Asanga [in the Bodhisattvabhumi], zhinay and lhagtong have as their object relative and absolute [truth] both, which means some zhinays have an understanding of emptiness and likewise you have to say some lhagtongs will not have understanding of emptiness. That means, in that case there is lhagtong concentrated on relative truth, which means lhagtong without emptiness. Keep this question in mind. I guess Tsongkhapa might have answered that somewhere underneath, sure. He continues, Some will say, “One may have concentrated power, but that will just be holding with no tightness and lucid clarity. When lucid clarity is there, it becomes lhagtong.” Tsongkhapa says that is not correct:

122 Also see p. 124.

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 137 If that were correct it would contradict a statement made earlier. Furthermore, clarity and tightness of concentration depend on whether or not there is a sinking mind. This means this is not about wisdom. Besides that Tsongkhapa furthermore insists that: All zhinay must be absolutely lucid and tight and if you are free of the problem of sinking, it automatically becomes lucid. Tsongkhapa continues, Whether that zhinay or lhagtong is meditation on emptiness or not, depends on the subject you are meditating on, not on whether it is zhinay of lhagtong. If you are meditating on selflessness123, or existence-lessness, of self or other than self, then it is [dealing with] emptiness, whether it is lhagtong or zhinay. And if it is not concentrating on either one of them, then whether it is lhagtong or zhinay [it is not a meditation on emptiness]. However, there will be a problem: if you are not looking for [lack of true] existence, whether on beings or articles, and you are still looking, then what is that lhagtong doing? Is it simply analyzing particles or what? That is a question we have to keep in mind and try to find the answer later. (Each one of these words has a lot to tell!) Tsongkhapa goes on, Even if you don’t get the emptiness or the understanding whether something is inherently existent or not, or any of that type [of analysis] at all, even if you are just concentrating on nothingness, [your meditation] will probably bring one or another kind of samadhi124. That samadhi will not be called an understanding of emptiness but ‘nothing-ness’, a blank mind. You can develop it and there is nothing wrong with that; it doesn’t contradict anything. If you go on concentrating on that for a long time, just holding the mind, because of that power the air or energy in the body can become a useful energy. Because of that automatically happiness follows within the mind and pleasure within the body. So even if you just sit there, thinking that you are holding the mind but actually you are blank, and you keep on sitting like that for a long time, it trains the energy within your body. Just this training of energy within the body will be able to bring some kind of pleasure. It might not be the shin-jang pleasure, but can be some kind of relaxation in a sort of happy manner. That joyfulness in the body and happiness in the mind will also bring a lucid mind. Such joy and clarity combined can be called samadhi. But a samadhi of that type is not necessarily able to see emptiness. You get it? It is possible for an individual to develop a joyful body feeling and a lucid mind with or without understanding of emptiness. It is necessary to know that. Why? When you have nothing to concentrate on and you are sitting there for a long time, feeling great, having a very joyful body and a happy mind, being able to concentrate long, chances are that you will think, “I have some understanding of emptiness.” So we have to be careful; we should know: this is not an understanding of emptiness and this is not going to cut the root of samsara; it is probably going to bring you one of the seventeen stages within samsara, the space-like formlessness, which is one of the four formless stages125. So, lhagtong is lucid analyzing and then after analyzing you find something. Now, looking in and finding nothing and concentrating on the nothing, which is able to bring real joy and happiness that is not emptiness, is that real lhagtong? That question has not been answered yet. We can’t say yes or no just now, because you have lhagtong without emptiness and we also have zhinay with emptiness too. iv) The reasons why you need both Why do you need both? Why is one not sufficient?

123 In Tibetan dag meba; dag is self and me is without. 124 Tib. ting nge ’dzin. 125 First of the formless stages, called ‘Infinite Space’. For an overview of those stages see chart 4 on p. 195. Also see page 153.

138 Lam Rim Teachings Now you have to think of good old Tibet, dark temples, no windows, lots of painting on the walls, no elec- tricity. Tsongkhapa is interesting here, For example, if you want to see a wall painting at night you need a good burning butterlamp and there should not be any air blowing. If you don’t have light you’ll see nothing and if you have light but there is air blowing, the light will be moving and you are not going to see the paintings clearly. Likewise, in order to look for the deeper meaning, the understanding of the truth, the mystery of life, in order to clear the mystery of existence you have to have a proper wisdom, which acknowledges the true nature. In order to get that good wisdom you need to put a lot of valuable time into it. Half-concentrated time is not going to solve the problem at all. You have to have a fully concentrated [mind] and a lot of time. And also the time you put in should be very worthy. That is why both are needed. So the strong light is the wisdom and the unshakingness is the concentration. Tsongkhapa still goes on: Even if you have the concentration power and your mind is not able to move here and there, if you don’t have the wisdom, no matter how much you concentrate, it is absolutely impossible to solve the mystery of existence. If you have the understanding of selflessness and you don’t have the concentration power, it is absolutely impossible to see it clearly. Therefore both of them are necessary. To prove that Tsongkhapa quotes Kamalashila, an Indian scholar and saint who wrote three volumes on meditation, the Stages of Meditation [Tib. Gom Rim] What does lhagtong without zhinay do to a yogi or yogini? That yogi or yogini’s mind will be unstable like a burning flame in the wind and therefore the wisdom will not be clear. For that reason you will need both lhagtong and zhinay. Zhinay makes the mind stable. Lhagtong will clear the misunderstanding and will solve the problems. The Moon Lamp Sutra, quoted by Tsongkhapa, says, By the power of zhinay it will be made unshakable. By the power of lhagtong it is made like a mountain. If you do have the concentration power and then use the wisdom on top of that, it will help the individual to understand and to deliver the goods. Tsongkhapa says here, One of the sutras said, “If you meditate you will understand the true nature.” That means: if you have the meditation power of zhinay and on top of that you build lhagtong, you will understand. Sometimes it is very important to notice that you do not just read the sutras as they are. You have to have an explanation. Tsongkhapa continues, according to Kamalashila’s Stages of Meditation, The mind is moving like a wave of water, but zhinay makes it a little peaceful and stable. If you do not make the mind stable, you are not going to understand the true nature easily. Buddha emphasized that by meditation you will understand deeper. That is why Buddha had to say, “If you develop zhinay then you will also clear the problems of wisdom.” Then Tsongkhapa adds: Also zhinay helps to understand the karmic system, the faults of samsara, love, compassion and bodhimind. Not only does it help to develop them, but also to understand them. In other words, you can develop zhinay on emptiness, on karma, you can develop zhinay on the samsaric sufferings, you can develop zhinay on love-compassion bodhimind as well as being able to develop lhagtong on all of them. If you do so and especially if you do the lhagtong-style meditation on those, they complement each other. Concentration power and analysis complement each other. By that every virtuous action and every meditation will become more powerful. Before attaining zhinay, whatever meditation or other practice you do, it will be weak and less powerful [because of distraction]. To prove what he just stated, Tsongkhapa quotes Shantideva’s Bodhisattvacharyavatara:

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 139 (…) I should place my mind in concentration For the man whose mind is distracted Dwells between the fangs of disturbing conceptions. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 8, vs. 1 The person who has a wandering mind is always in the embrace of the heavy delusions. Whether you say a lot of mantras or take hardship in doing prostrations, do mandala offerings, say Vajrasattva mantras or do circambulations, no matter how much you do it, if you don’t have concentration it is totally useless and a waste of time. Just keeping on doing it with no understanding and no concentration, is useless. Again, from the Bodhisattvacharyavatara, The Knower of Reality has said That even if recitation and physical hardships Are practiced for long periods of time, They will be meaningless if the mind is distracted elsewhere. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 5, vs. 16 v) Determination of their proper order: what follows what? Having understood that disturbing conceptions are completely overcome By superior insight endowed with calm abiding, First of all I should search for calm abiding [zhinay]. Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 8, vs. 4 If you have the wisdom but you don’t have the concentration power, it doesn’t work. You can’t see mural paintings in a dark temple well with a flickering butterlamp. But if you have the concentration and you have the wisdom on the basis of the concentration, then it cuts the root of samsara. Therefore, what do you have to do first? First gain the concentration. Tsongkhapa says, So the first is zhinay, no question. Then you develop lhagtong on the basis of zhinay. Not without it, but on its basis. Okay? So first it boils down to zhinay. How to do zhinay? Zhinay you can do on anything. It can be [done on] an external object or an internal one or mind, anything. Then Tsong- khapa says: Let us say first you try to understand the meaning of selflessness. Then with whatever your understanding of the meaning of selflessness is, you concentrate on it without the mind wandering. Then zhinay and lhagtong will probably be able to develop together. However, if that is true, why do you need zhinay earlier, again? Again, you have to understand Tsongkhapa’s style. If you are doing a zhinay on selflessness, the object of the zhinay will be the selflessness. But without understanding selflessness, how can you meditate on it? So, you do get the object of selflessness a little bit and then you concentrate on that. And what you are going to gain is zhinay and lhagtong together on selflessness, so then what is the need of [developing] zhinay first? Tsongkhapa says that zhinay has to go before lhagtong. Why? In order to understand the selflessness you do not need zhinay. You can still gain an understanding of selflessness through analysis. When you understand what selflessness is, the understanding you have at that time will change your mind perceiving selflessness. That is right, isn’t it? Even before you think of selflessness at all, you do have some kind of understanding of self. Then if you think on selflessness more and more and you understand the selflessness, your perception of the self will change. Your way of looking at self, your understanding of self will change. That change is the different experience of self to each one of us. Tsongkhapa says, In order to gain that experience of looking at self differently, you don’t need zhinay. It is not necessary at all to have developed zhinay to gain a different experience of looking at self. Some people will insist that for selflessness it is necessary. If that were so, then impermanence and the faults of samsara and bodhimind you gain experience on and you see differently by understanding and meditating, then even to gain all those you [would] need zhinay. Whoever is accepting that,

140 Lam Rim Teachings goes absolutely wild. Therefore, to gain that understanding you do not need zhinay. But then if that is so, why does zhinay need to go before lhagtong? Now Tsongkhapa goes, The generation of lhagtong in this context is a spiritual state which grows within the individual. It is a spiritual state grown out of meditation – gom jung126 – which is completely new. Except in special cases. In maha-annutara yoga tantra the way you perceive emptiness and the development towards it, is slightly different. So except for the higher tantra, In all three lower tantras and in the sutra path, that spiritual growth out of meditation has to be out of wisdom meditation. That wisdom meditation depends on the analytical meditation. And that analytical meditation will never be able to bring that sort of result unless you have a strong concentration. That is why zhinay necessarily goes before lhagtong. If you only have the zhinay, but you don’t have the lhagtong way of doing, you may have concentration power, but that special insight is not going to grow within you. Therefore it is necessary to follow both of them, which is the essence of the thought of Kamalashila in his Gom rim, Stages of Meditation. What do you need to understand from this? That the sixth paramita – and out of the three higher trainings, the training of wisdom – has to grow on the training of concentration. Tsongkhapa says: That is [affirmed in] Asanga’s Bodhisattva Stages and Disciple Stages, in Bhavaviveka’s Heart of the Middle Way, Shantideva’s A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, Kamalashila’s Stages of Meditation and all of them.127 There are some Indian scholars who have earlier stated that it is not necessary to find the zhinay separately, that from the beginning you can go in analytical meditation. Being able to do both together is against those great teachers and their experience. So don’t believe those, otherwise you will be doomed. When you have grown zhinay, the lhagtong out of zhinay is an automatic combination. If you have only zhinay and you don’t have lhagtong, then it is not the combination. Also it might not be out of place to mention: encountering with emptiness directly, face to face, is equivalent to the main level of the seeing path and is also equivalent to obtaining the first bhumi, or stage. They go together; when one happens, the other will happen automatically. However, exceptionally brilliant people sometimes even gain understanding of emptiness earlier, pre- ceding even the growing of the bodhimind, [which means] entering the [Mahayana] path. What happens for that sort of exceptionally brilliant persons? They bypass the first two stages – the path of accumulation of merit and the path of preparation or action – and directly go into path three, landing by helicopter on that. This system of zhinay going before lhagtong, is talking about developing it128 the first time, not afterwards. Once you developed it, it is no longer necessary to have the concentration before that every time. So the rule is applicable to the beginning stage. Tsongkhapa then raises another question, There is a teaching by Asanga that says, “Some developed lhagtong first and they have not developed zhinay; their lhagtong helps to develop zhinay.” What does that statement mean? Tsongkhapa’s explanation for this is: Asanga is not talking about the zhinay we are discussing. The zhinay we are discussing here is the zhinay of the preliminary stage of [the first] samadhi. What Asanga is talking about is the zhinay of the actual stage of the first samadhi.129 The first to fourth samadhi are the four form stages. Each one of these samadhis will give you rebirth in the future in a samsaric-gods level above the desire realm. Outside the desire realm you have these stages one up to four and each one of these [samadhi] stages corresponds to a [form] stage, is a cause for rebirth

126 Transliteration: bsgom byung. 127 Titles of these works in Sanskrit: Bodhisattvabhumi, Sravakabhumi, Madhyamaka-hrdaya, Bodhisattvacharyavatara and Bha- vanakrama respectively. 128 The lhagtong in the strict sense of seeing emptiness face to face. 129 See chart 4 on p. 195

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 141 in there. So the power of concentration of the zhinay, as we are discussing here, is developed at the preliminary level of the first samadhi. Do you get it? Thereafter they will continue the zhinay. The zhinay becomes much more powerful and much more strong and all this goes on and on and when keeping on concentrating the zhinay will go beyond the preliminary stage, reach the actual stage of the first samadhi, go beyond and reach the preliminary of the second stage and so on. The difference between the followers of Buddha’s path and the followers of other paths – the Tibet- ans call it the difference between ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’ – is this. Buddha recommends over here: stop concentrating and move to lhagtong. The ‘outsiders’ don’t talk lhagtong, ‘insiders’ talk lhagtong. So Bud- dha introduced lhagtong at this point; he does not recommend to go on in these samadhi stages. Naturally. The Buddhist aim is to cut the root of samsara rather than to go into higher levels [of concentration or absorption]. But these stages are not ‘greek’ to Buddhists; they are known to them. But also there is a problem. Because of not understanding emptiness properly, you [can] misunderstand the strong and very powerful zhinay. In going beyond, into the samadhi stages, a misunderstanding of emptiness could come in. You then get this concentration on nothingness, which brings the formless stages. The four samadhis or four concentrations are the four form stages. Beyond that you get the four formless stages of which the fourth is called ‘peak of samsara’ or ‘neither consciousness nor non-consciousness’, the meditative stage of ‘recognition but not without consciousness’. It is a very, very strong, happy, vegetable stage over there: you’ll be a really very happy, joyful vegetable.

The story of Matricheta. Matricheta was an outstanding non-Buddhist teacher and scholar. He came to Nalanda, one of the most outstanding Buddhist learning centers, and demanded to have a debate. He was a fantastic great scholar and a great person of his own. The Nalanda people looked carefully but found that no one could challenge him. They agreed to have a debate but somehow kept postponing it, because they knew they couldn’t do anything. They were hoping that Nagarjuna or his disciple Aryadeva who were somewhere in South India, would come back to the monastery. They had no alternative but to pray; they kept on praying to Mahakala all the time. Then they wrote a message to Nagarjuna and put it on the torma of Mahakala. The monastery door was locked and they kept on beating the drums and praying to Ma- hakala, “Help, help, help! Help, help, help!” Then what happened? One day Mahakala manifested as a ra- ven, picked up the message that was on the torma and then flew off. Now they knew the message was going to reach. And they kept on praying. [Somewhere in South India] Nagarjuna said, “Well, this non-Buddhist scholar is threatening Nalanda, I have to go back.” At that time Nagarjuna had long hair and almost looked like a yogi. So he said, “I have to shave my hair and put on a robe and go back to the monastery to debate.” His disciple Aryadeva said, “No, no, you don’t have to go, I’ll go.” Nagarjuna answered, “Okay, but then you have to prepare. You debate with me and I will reply as the non-Buddhist scholar is going to.” So Aryadeva started debating Nagarjuna and Nagarjuna kept on answering just like the non-Buddhist would answer. The debate was done so realistically that during the debate Aryadeva started thinking, “What has happened to my teacher? Why is he holding such a funny view? I have a little bit of a funny thought here.” At that moment Nagarjuna said, “Now we stop; you are okay, you will defeat him, so you go. However, you have one big obstacle because of the thought you just developed. It is a big obstacle, but you will be alright. Go.” So Aryadeva went. On the way he lost an eye130, but finally he reached Nalanda. Now every morning Matricheta, who was waiting for the debate, was controlling the monastery. As they couldn’t debate him for a long time, he was controlling the monastery, but nobody was following him yet. In the traditional Indian system you have to debate and if you lose you have to give up your old system and follow the system of the winner. So in the morning when they went out, he counted everybody, “One bold head, two bold heads, three bold heads…,” hitting them on the head with a little stick. And when coming back he counted them again, “One bold head, two bold head” hitting them with the little stick on the head. Then Aryadeva came and he went through along with the others. He happened to be the last one, one extra number. So the non-Buddhist scholar said, “Where does this bold head that was not here before,

130 Being a bodhisattva, he gave it without hesitation to a beggar who asked for it.

142 Lam Rim Teachings come from?” and he hit him. Aryadeva immediately replied, “Came from the neck!” So he knew, “Oh, you are the one who wants to debate me. Now I know.” Then Aryadeva and Matricheta, the two of them, had a debate under a big umbrella. It was not easy for Aryadeva to defeat him; not at all. These non-Buddhist scholars were not easy to defeat. But what did Aryadeva do? When the debate was set up, he got a bottle of oil, a shameless guy, a chat, some dirty shirts, old shoes and things like that. Matricheta had a certain siddhihood on debate, which he had got from Indra. He had a slate with a certain power: wherever he would be, in whatever debate, if he would be about to lose, the slate would show him whatever the other person’s arguments and thoughts were going to be. If that would fail – as Indra’s powers are limited – a parrot would come and talk to him. If that would fail, Indra’s wife would appear and talk to him. And if that would fail, Indra himself would enter into the body of this scholar and debate. That was the siddhi Matricheta had. So Tara had told Aryadeva, “You have to take those things. Nagarjuna sent you, so from your schol- arly knowledge and your experience there is no doubt that you will defeat him, but you also need help. My suggestion is you take those.” Aryadeva argued, “Why?” But Tara insisted he should take them. Now what happened during the debate? When Matricheta started seeing things on his slate, Tara somehow caused the bottle of oil to fall on the slate and nothing could be seen on it any more. Then when the parrot came, the cat went, “Grrrrr” so the parrot had to watch the cat all the time and was unable to help. Now Indra’s wife was supposed to appear personally, but that shameless guy was sitting there naked. These samsaric gods have this funny little feeling of embarrassment, so she didn’t want to appear there. Then Indra himself wanted to enter, but they [the samsaric gods] have so much [attachment to] cleanliness, that Indra could not enter under the dirty shirts and old smelly shoes of different people, which were put on top of the big umbrella. Then finally the scholar was defeated and he flew away into the air. But Aryadeva chased him and after some time got him down and put him in prison. They did not really have a proper prison, but they had a little old house where old incomplete texts were put. Being a learned scholar, Matricheta was sitting there and took loose pages and read these pieces of text. By doing that he gained a lot of understanding of the Buddha’s teachings. Not only had he lost a debate – which was impossible to lose but nevertheless he lost – but he was also gaining much more understanding. The debate was on emptiness actually, whether there is a self or there is no self, so between Shankaracharya’s acceptance of self [Hindu philosophy] and Nagar- juna’s point of selflessness. The Hindus say that has not been settled between Hindus and Buddhists even today. The Buddhists say it has been settled by Aryadeva with Matricheta and needs no longer be talked about. Anyway, Matricheta was reading and picked up one little piece of paper, which was a prophecy of Bud- dha, saying that in that sort of year there will be that sort of outstanding scholar, named so and so, and there will be a debate and the Buddhist follower so and so will defeat him and this fellow will not only become a Buddhist, but a great saint and sage and one of the most outstanding Buddhist leaders and will be a great help for the future etc. He read that and kept on thinking on it for a long time in his prison and he gained a lot of understanding there and in that time he wrote a famous praise to Buddha. In that praise he said, The beauty of the Buddha’s way is not going through these concentration levels. You don’t even go for the first [actual] stage of samadhi. Instead of that you have a technique to take samsara’s eyeball out, Which was lacking in the system that I had learned. I like that. This is a quality of Buddhism. Instead of wasting time going through all these stages of samadhi, from the power of concentration you switch over [to analytical investigation]. So the concentration meditation is absolutely necessary, absolutely important and I don’t have any problems with understanding that. It is absolutely necessary. We plan to introduce that too, aiming at zhinay and then combine it with lhagtong. That way I think we can do great service to a lot of future people. vi) Actual separate studies That has three outlines: development of zhinay development of lhagtong

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 143 development of the combination

(1) Development of zhinay – calm abiding (the paramita of concentration)131 That has three parts: the prerequisites for developing zhinay the actual meditation of zhinay signs of development of zhinay within the individual.

(a) The prerequisites for developing zhinay Dwelling in an appropriate place What are the required qualities of the place you need for developing zhinay? Good supplies. First it needs to be a place where you can get food and whatever else you need without too much difficulty. These days you don’t have to worry about finding food, but you have to worry about the money to buy those things, so you will need some kind of arrangement. No dangers. It should be a place where there is not much danger or threat to your life like snakes, mosquitoes, and no enemies of yours around. That is called a good place. Healthy place. Also certain places may create illnesses, some environment does not suit you, e.g. too wet, too cold. That should not be the case, it should be a good place. Good friends. You should have good friends around. That means friends who can agree with the things you do, rather than going in the opposite direction. Certain people have that by nature; when everybody is saying yes, they say no. In such a place you should not meditate. Quietness. You choose a place where at daytime not so many people are around and where there is not so much noise at night. To make it short, Maitreya says in one a short verse, A place where you can easily find your food and clothes, a place where animals and things like that will not bother you, a place where there are no enemies around, a place that will not bring illnesses, where good friends are around, is a good place.132

Having small needs You should not have big needs. The purpose of clothes it to keep you warm and the purpose of food is to keep you from hunger. That is it.

Being content The person should be easily satisfied. Just get enough food and just get good clothes; that is all. You don’t have to go much more elaborate.

Going away from the demands of society Particularly a person who is meditating zhinay should not have any other activities during that period, like buying and selling, business, office work etc. It is probably difficult to combine, therefore these things should be avoided. Particularly, although you may have a friend, you should not be meeting friends very often or being busy with healing people, with treatments, with giving astrological readings etc.

131 Literature: Gehlek Rimpoche, Gom, A Course in Meditation; Tsongkhapa, The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlight- enment, Lamrim Chenmo, vol. III, p. 27-103; Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in Our Hands, vol. III, p. 231-260; Pabongka Rin- poche, Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, p. 647-678; Dagyab Rinpoche, Achtsamkeit und Versenkung, p. 301-311; Geshe Thubten Loden, Path to Enlightenment, p. 796-831; Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, Tibetan Tradition of Mental Development, p. 146- 161; Gampopa, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, p. 187-198; Gen Lamrimpa, Samatha Meditation; B. Alan Wallace, The Bridge to Quiescence; Geshe Gedün Lodrö, Walking Through Walls, p. 13-268; Jeffrey Hopkins, Meditation on emptiness, p. 67-90; Ge- she Rabten, Treasury of Dharma, p. 107-113; Lati Rinpoche and Denma Locho Rinpoche, Meditative States in Tibetan Buddhism. Other translations of this paramita: meditation or meditative absorption, meditatieve concentration, mental stabilization, mental quiescence. 132 Mahayanasutralamkara, ch. 13, vs. 7.

144 Lam Rim Teachings Having pure ethics Try to protect your commitments, whether self-liberating vows, bodhisattva vows or vajrayana vows. All broken vows should be corrected. And try to be mindful all the time.

Reducing your thoughts of desire Desires can go down by seeing the impermanence of them or by seeing the uselessness of the desires. Also by seeing the uselessness of it to the individual your desires can be reduced. Any anger, attachment, hatred, those different thoughts should be leveled out a little bit. If you try to develop zhinay it is also important that all these are looked after. In his Lamp for the Path Atisha has mentioned clearly, Without the attainment of calm abiding higher perception will not occur. Therefore make repeated effort to accomplish calm abiding.133 So he says: one who doesn’t have those arrangements properly, even if he puts a lot of effort in it for a thousand years, is not going to achieve anything. For zhinay you do need to pay attention to the area, to what you do and what you don’t do. It is not like doing your daily practice or doing your Lamrim meditations. For zhinay in this level you have to do that. Even if you don’t have that sort of place, generating a good, nice atmosphere and being able to spend time in that and being able to reduce a lot of other activities, probably that much [you can do] in order to achieve a proper zhinay. Even if you don’t achieve a proper zhinay, you still can achieve one of the different levels of some kind of zhinay.

(b) How to develop zhinay on that basis The general preliminary is meditation on bodhimind. And in order to develop that you need the preliminaries common with the medium and common with the lower level.

(i) The meditative posture It is recommended to sit on a soft and comfortable seat. The sitting posture. Recommended is the Vairochana style of sitting, also called the seven- or eight- point posture. That is: 1) two legs crossed, either complete or half. 2) Eyes not completely closed or open, somehow the focus of the eyes is straight down the tip of the nose. 3) The body is not completely back nor bent, sort of straight. And then the focus of the mind should always be turned inside. 4) The two shoulders are equal. 5) The head is not too high and not too low, straight. 6) Teeth and lips are left normal. 7) The tip of the tongue should touch the gum at the back of the teeth. The breath. 8) The breath should not be too heavy, it should not make noise or be pushed strongly. Slowly let it go. Let it go in and out freely. That is what you do. It is also recommended to count. Some- times the counting is difficult. When the counting becomes difficult at the beginning stage, it is not even necessary to count, just let the breath go. When you begin to concentrate, first count the outgoing air. Acknowledge it is going out, naturally going out, and count that – one. Then take a break when the breath comes in and again count it when it goes out – two. That is recommended to do at the beginning, if you are having difficulties. Tsongkhapa says, If you try to develop a good zhinay, try from the beginning to have those structures. Pay attention to the sitting posture as well as to the air going out.

(ii) The meditative process134 How to develop flawless concentration

133 Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, vs. 39. 134 For a detailed presentation see Gehlek Rimpoche, Gom, a Course in Meditation. The following section on the five faults has been taken from there.

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 145 The stages in which the mental states develop

The five faults. There are five obstacles in meditation: laziness not remembering, forgetfulness excitation or sinking when sinking or excitation are there, not taking the antidote action – non-application taking antidote action when laxity or excitation are not there – (over)-application. 1) Laziness. The actual antidote to laziness is an initial experience of the pleasure and harmony of body and mind that arise from meditation [shin jangs]. Once we experience this joy, meditation automatically becomes one of our favorite activities. However, until we get to this point we must settle for a lesser antidote. This lesser antidote is thinking of the benefits of having such a power of samadhi; by getting a desire for it follows enthusiastic effort. 2) Forgetfulness. That’s simply losing awareness of the object of meditation. When this happens, concentration is no longer present. Nagarjuna gave an illustration of the samadhi process in which the mind is compared to an elephant tied by the rope of memory to the pillar of the object of meditation. Be consistent. Consistency in practice is also important. Once you begin you should continue each day until the goal is reached. If all conditions are perfect, this can be done in three months or so. But to practice an hour a day for a month and then miss a day or two will produce minimal progress. Constant, steady effort is necessary. You have to fix a daily schedule of meditation and then follow it.

3) Excitation or sinking. Although you must hold the object firmly, if you hold the object forcefully, it gives rise to this third problem. When we try to hold the object in the mind, the tension of the effort produces either excitation or sinking. Sinking. The forced concentration produces a heaviness of mind, and this in turn leads to sleep, the most coarse form of sinking. The subtle form of sinking is experienced when one is able to hold the object in mind for a prolonged period of time, yet without any real clarity. Without this clarity the meditation lacks strength. I’ll give you an example: when a man in love thinks of his beloved, her face immediately appears ra- diantly in his mind and effortlessly remains with clarity. A few months later, however, when they are in the middle of a fight, he has to make a great effort to think of her in the same way. When he had the tightness of desire the image was easy to retain clearly. This tightness we call ‘close placement’. When this close placement is lost, the image eventually disappears and subtle sinking sets in. It is very difficult to distinguish between proper meditation and meditation characterized by subtle sinking. Remaining absorbed in subtle sinking can create many problems. Excitation. Mentally wandering away from the object of meditation is also something we must guard against. When you sit down to concentrate on an object, your mind quickly drifts away to thoughts of the activities of the day, or to a movie or television program. The mind wanders off on some memory or plan and we don’t even realize it is happening; we think we are still meditating, but suddenly realize that for half an hour our mind has been elsewhere. This is the coarse level of the wandering mind. When it is overcome we still have to deal with subtle excitation: one factor of the mind holds the object clearly but another factor drifts away. We have to develop the ability to use the main part of our mind to concentrate on the object and another part to watch that the meditation is progressing correctly. This side part of the mind, meta-alertness, is like a secret agent. Without this secret agent we can become absorbed in incorrect meditation for hours without knowing what we are doing. The thief of excitation or sinking comes into the house and steals away our meditation. We have to watch it, yet not overly. Overly watching can create another problem. It is like when we hold a glass of water: we have to hold it, hold it tightly, and also watch to see that we are holding it correctly and steadily, without allowing any of the water to spill. Holding, holding tightly and watching: these are three keys in this meditation.

146 Lam Rim Teachings 4) Not correcting the above problems when they arise. When sinking arises and you don’t counteract it with tightness, the fourth obstacle is produced. On the other hand, too much tightness on the object created by a lack of natural desire to meditate is also to be avoided. We must balance tightness with relaxation. Sometimes when we try to counteract sinking with tightness, the mind gets too tight. When this happens, just relax within the meditation. If that does not work, forget the object for a while and concentrate on happy thoughts, such as the beneficial effects of bodhicitta, until the mind regains its composure. Then return to the object. This has an effect similar to washing the face in cold water. If even contemplating a happy subject does not pick you up, visualize that your mind takes the form of a tiny seed at your heart. Then visualize shooting the seed out of the crown of your head into the clouds above; leave it there for a few moments and then bring it back. Should even this not help, just take a break from the meditation for a while. Similarly, when excitation arises you can think of an unpleasant subject, such as the suffering nature of samsara. In short, how do we correct these two fundamental problems of excitation and sinking? The antidote to sinking is tightening the concentration and the antidote to excitation is loosening the concentration. When the mind is low, we change to a happy subject which brings it up again; when the mind is high, excited, we change to an unpleasant subject in order to bring the mind down from the sky and back to earth. 5) Applying meditative opponents to problems when in fact the problems are not there. The fifth obstacle arises by applying antidotes to sinking or excitation which in fact are not present, when they are purely imaginary, or by overly watching for problems. This obstructs the development of meditation.

(c) How we move along the path on the basis of having attained zhinay Beyond this you can either remain in samadhi meditation and cultivate the four levels of samadhi135 or, as advised by Je Tsongkhapa, turn to searching for the root of samsara. No matter how high one’s samadhi, if the root of samsara is not cut one must eventually fall. Tsongkhapa compared samadhi to the horse ridden by a warrior, and the wisdom that cuts the root of samsara to the warrior’s sword. When you gain the first level of samadhi you have found the horse and can then turn to the sword of wisdom. Unless you gain the sword of wisdom, your attainment of samadhi is prone to collapse. You can take rebirth in one of the seventeen realms of the gods of form, but eventually you will fall. On the other hand, if we develop basic samadhi and then apply it to the development of wisdom, we cut samsara’s root as quickly as a crow knocks out the eyes of his enemy. Once this root is cut, we are beyond falling.

(2) Development of lhagtong – insight (the paramita of wisdom)136 Gehlek Rimpoche introduces Geshe Yeshi Thabkye We are very happy to have Geshe Yeshi Thabkye here in the center. He has been a childhood friend of mine. We have been studying together in the same class at Drepung Loseling for twelve or thirteen years. I became a lay person and he remained a great monk and a great geshe. Truly speaking he is one of the best geshes available now. Among the Tibetan geshes, Geshe Rabten and Geshe Sopa are really the top and together with Tara Rinpoche and Lochö Rinpoche, Geshe Thabkye is one of those top geshes too. So we are really fortunate to have him here with us. Not only has he been an outstanding geshe, he also is a professor in Varanasi [university] and has done research in the western scientific way. Geshela asked me what subject he should teach and I said: the basic foundation from where you begin to look into emptiness. And he should talk from his heart rather than from the text. So that is what it is going to be. Then I will also introduce Geshe Lobsang Senge, who he will translate Geshe Thabkye today. He was born in Ladakh, a very important point of the early Indian and Tibetan civilization. He became a monk in Spituk, where the head of the monastery is Kushok Bakula, a living bodhisattva, a great, great teacher and

135 The four samadhi stages are also called the four form stages, the four dhyanis or the four concentrations. 136 Literature: Gehlek Rimpoche, Self and Selflessness; Tsongkhapa, The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Lamrim Chenmo, vol. III, p 107-223, 277-367. Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in Our Hands, vol. III, p. 261-301; Pabongka Rin- poche, Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, p. 678-706; Dagyab Rinpoche, Achtsamkeit und Versenkung, p. 311-324; Geshe Rab- ten, Treasury of Dharma, ch. 9; Geshe Thubten Loden, Path to Enlightenment, p. 833-890; Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Joyful Path of Good Fortune, p. 521-541; Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, Tibetan Tradition of Mental Development, p. 162-181; Gampopa, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, p. 202-225; Robert Thurman, Life and Teachings of Tsongkhapa, p. 108-185; The Middle Tran- scendent Insight by Je Tsongkhapa, from his Middle Stages of the Path of Enlightenment.

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 147 also an interesting politician, who throughout his life has been working for the cause of the dharma and the upliftment of the poor people in Ladakh. Geshela joined that monastery and went from there to Tashi Lunpo (the Panchen Lama’s seat in Central Tibet), later joined Loseling and became a Loseling geshe. He also studied in the High Institute for Tibetan Studies in Varanasi, among others under Geshe Thabkye. He lives in the Buddhist Learning Centre in New Jersey.

Introduction into emptiness by Geshe Yeshi Thabkye Gehlek Rimpoche invited me. Because we were classmates at the same college, we love each other. You are very fortunate to study with Gehlek Rimpoche. Welcome to all of you. I bow down to the perfect Buddha, The best of teachers, who propounded That what dependently arises Has no cessation, no production, No annihilation, no permanence, no coming, No going, no difference, no sameness; Is free of the elaborations [of inherent existence and of duality] and is at peace. Kan gi ten cing drel ba jung / gar ba me ba ki me ba / dru ba ne sje ki dem ba. Interdependent relationship, from what it rises, no stopping, no growing, no characteristic of its own, not permanent, not going, not coming, not separate, not one-ness; manifested and of peaceful nature. I bow to the Buddha, who has mentioned the above-said. Today’s subject is the kan gi ten cing drel ba jung137, a term which is very hard to translate. It is interdependent relationship, from what it rises. The next word says “which has no stopping, no growing, which has no characteristic of its own, which is not permanent, which is not going, not coming, which is not separate, not one-ness. [Then]: dru ba ne sje chi dem ba, which means manifested, of peaceful nature, spoken of by Buddha. I bow to you, the Buddha, who has mentioned the above-said.” That is very briefly the base. Just keep that in mind. This is the praise which Nagarjuna wrote as beginning of his root text of wisdom, Treatise of the Middle Way138. Although it is a prayer to Buddha, it includes all the subjects Nagarjuna discusses in his text. Nagarjuna wrote six books, of which this one is the most important. Although this first verse is the praise, it has the total meaning included in it, which means that also the meaning of the Heart Sutra is included. Buddha has given many types of teaching to overcome our afflictive emotions, like anger, desire etc. However, dependent arising is the teaching that cuts the afflictive emotions from the root.

Buddha’s first five disciples and first teaching. When Buddha obtained enlightenment under the bodhi tree in India, he didn’t say anything, he didn’t give any teachings. The main reason was that it was difficult for the people to understand his excellent teachings, so he kept quiet. Then Indra and the other gods requested Buddha to speak. They asked him why he kept quiet. He said: Deep, peaceful, perfectly pure, luminous, uncompounded, and like nectar is the Dharma I have obtained. Even if I were to teach it, it could not be known by another. Certainly, I must remain silent in the forest.139 Why did Buddha keep quiet and didn’t want to speak about emptiness? Because for those who couldn’t understand exactly the teachings about emptiness, it would be more dangerous. For those who could understand, it would be more helpful. Therefore he said,

137 Interdependent origination (transliteration: rten cing ’brel bar ’byung ba). 138 Skt. Mulamadhyamakakarika Translations: David Kalupahana, Nagarjuna, The Philosophy of the Middle Way; Stephen Batchelor, Verses from the Center. J. Garfield, The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way. 139 Also see Lalitavistara Sutra, The Voice of the Buddha, ch. XXV.

148 Lam Rim Teachings You are not skilful enough to learn to understand emptiness. For those who have less knowledge, it is more dangerous. For those who are not skilful in catching a poisonous snake, there is a danger to harm oneself. Similarly, if you catch these teachings and you don’t know how to use them, it will harm you. Therefore I kept quiet. So, it is dangerous, but we can’t leave it. We have to consider emptiness. Even though you may not get its exact meaning, if you have a little doubt [tending towards correct belief]140, it will already distort the root of the afflictive emotions, it will distort cyclic existence. Why? When looking at the root of cyclic existence, most important is the understanding of dependent arising, or emptiness. That is the main weapon that can cut cyclic existence. Therefore, if you have even a little doubt about emptiness, it helps to destroy your afflictive emotions141. So Buddha mentioned the benefits of thinking or contemplating on dependent arising142 or emptiness. There are big benefits. If the sands of the river Ganges were made up of various kinds of diamonds and jewels, and a person would build stupas of diamonds and jewels equal to the grains of sand of the river Ganges, then how much virtue would that person get as a result? Well, by thinking and contemplating this and putting it into practice, even though you have a little doubt, you would have a much, much more virtuous result than by building that amount of jeweled diamond stupas. When Buddha was trying to look to whom he could teach this emptiness, to whom he could talk about it, who would be fit to be a disciple, he couldn’t find anybody. The reason is this. Earlier, when Buddha went to meditate, he gave up eating food. He ate a few grains only and went [on that diet] for years. There were five other people at that time who went together with him and were all very devoted to him. At a later moment some village girl offered some milk to Buddha and he took it. Then those five people thought: Buddha worked very hard, but finally he couldn’t continue and gave up. So they left him. In reality, Buddha found that if you completely ignore your body, do not eat food and make your body weak, then not only do you destroy the physical body, but you also reduce your mental capacity completely, and therefore the purpose of the human life gets defeated. That is why Buddha chose to take the milk. However, if you take food excessively, it also creates a problem. Therefore Buddha chose neither to fast completely, nor to over-eat. Those five people, however, didn’t understand Buddha’s purpose, and went to Sarnath, a town near where Buddha meditated and the place where he started teaching. Buddha went to Sarnath, to where the five of them were. They saw him coming and decided, “Let us not get up like usual, let us not respect him, let us not provide him with a seat, let us not give him water to wash his feet, let us not welcome him.” But Buddha walked up to them and by his majestic or dignified power, they could not stick to their decision. Some of them got up and said, “Gautama, welcome.” Some of them ran and brought water for his feet and some of them gave him a seat and all this. And by the time they said, “Gautama, welcome,” Buddha said, “Don’t call me Gautama. I am not the old Gautama. I am different, I am an enlightened one.” [And they became his first five disciples.] In the first period that Buddha gave teachings, two of the five disciples would stay and listen to Bud- dha’s teachings, while the other three would go out for food. And when the three came back, the two in turn would go out for food and Buddha would teach the three of them. That is how the first period was spent. In the ordinary way the teaching was given to a group of only five human beings, but in the extraordinary way there were a lot of samsaric gods and many different listeners present.143 What Buddha taught there were the four noble truths: the truth of suffering the truth of the cause of suffering the truth of the cessation of suffering the truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering.

140 Tibetan Buddhist teachings distinguish three types of doubt: 1) doubt that tends toward erroneous belief about its object 2) doubt that tends toward right belief about its object, 3) doubt that is completely undecided about the nature of its object. Ref. Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in Our Hands, vol. III, p. 268. 141 Aryadeva’s Four Hundred Verses says: “A person of little vertue doesn’t even develop uncertainty about this subject. Yet merely developing this uncertainty tears samsaric existence to shreds.” Ref. Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in Our Hands, p. 268. 142 Also called dependent existence, (inter)dependent origination, relativity [Skt. pratityasamutpada]. 143 Lalitavistara Sutra, The Voice of the Buddha, ch. XXV.

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 149 The Four Noble truths The first truth: the truth of suffering Buddha mainly spoke on this first truth, the truth of suffering, because one should learn the nature of the phenomena, the nature of this world, which is full of suffering, so that we begin to see the true suffering. True suffering has four aspects: it is impermanent, it is suffering, it is emptiness or impure, and it is selflessness. 1) Impermanence. The main cause of cyclic existence is to view our own body as permanent, i.e. as a not impermanent, not changeable, a continuous, everlasting state. Holding this view causes us to make ourselves more important. 2) Suffering. Not only do we see our body as ever-lasting, we also have strong attachments to comfort, material well-being etc. which make us completely work for that. However, there is not a single thing which will not bring suffering at the end. The end is always suffering. So, things are not truly great and full of pleasure as we think they are and as we look at them. 3) Emptiness or impurity. Whether man or woman, we have a strong attachment to the body, thinking that our body is completely pure and clean [and superior]. In the early Indian culture the brahmins not only looked at their bodies as pure and clean, but also as superior to anybody else. The brahmins considered their caste to be of superior quality as opposed to other castes they considered unclean. They made a distinction between human beings on the basis of the caste system. Buddha’s point is: That is not true; there is nothing clean or superior about the body at all. 4) Selflessness. When we look into our mind, we always see some kind of superior being within us, that we call I or me, something we can get hold of, something solid. If you are going to search for it, you hope to find it hiding somewhere deep inside. We look at it not only as solid, but as superior to anybody else. However, this perception of superiority and importance and solidness, creates the conditions to develop all other delusions, or afflictive emotions. Buddha pointed that out and said, “There is no such person in there. When I search there is no such thing in there.” That is briefly selflessness: when I look for something superior, which is better than anybody else, [I find] there is nobody, nothing there.

The second truth: the truth of the cause of suffering We consider this inside person as superior to others, so for the sake of this one we can sacrifice others. But if you look from the others’ point of view… The others built their camp there and you built your camp here, we are facing each other, so they have the same view. This side and that side, or here and there, are dependently set up: if I am not here, you can’t be there; if you are not there, I can’t be here. So here and there, this side and that side, me and the other, self and others, all of them are set up on the basis of depending on each other. If there is no ‘this side’, how can there be ‘that side’? ‘Here’ is based on ‘there’, ‘there’ is based on ‘here’. They are depending on each other. This side of the being and that side of the being are also dependent. So you build your own castle here, “I am the important one, I can sacrifice others, the others are there for me.” That is okay, but they also build the same thing on the other side and so the same ice castles are facing each other. Then my can build up. This my becomes important to me. Not only do you make yourself superior, but you also make my superior. For example. If you own an ordinary cup, you call it my cup. Although it is the same cup as anybody else’s, you give it more value by calling it my cup. The same goes for my body, my friend and my religion. All of them are built up because of the superiority of I.

Story of the travelers. I would like to share an ancient Indian story. A group of people in India traveled and put up a camp somewhere. Of course, in earlier India there were no toilets, so they used the open field for their morning business. After some time the neighborhood people came to know that they were camping there and had started to use the land for toileting purposes. Some of the group had already left, but some of them were still there. The neighborhood people came and said, “Look, you have dirtied our field; unless you clean it up, we are going to beat you up.” They agreed to clean it up, but each one of them picked up his own things and wouldn’t touch that of the others. So that of those who had left earlier, was remaining there.

150 Lam Rim Teachings Then the neighbors wanted to beat one of them up because they hadn’t cleaned up properly. The one that was going to be beaten up, said, “I can’t clean that up, that is really dirty!” In reality it is all the same dirt, but in my own mind, something which has come from my body, is a little cleaner and better than that of the others. So he said, “If you are going to beat me up, beat me up, because I’m not going to touch it. My ones I can touch, because it has come from me, so it is a little better than that from the others.” That is how our perception of I – not only clean but also superior – works.

Since we divided ourselves in me and the others, we also built up my side, my caste, we the white people and you, the Asians. Like that. Although everybody equally seeks happiness and peace, we make a difference between self and others and from that my country, we the white and you the Asians etc. develops. Even though you are not born by choice into a specific group or caste or religious sect, just by birth, the moment you begin to think, you automatically acknowledge that these are people of our group and these are our enemies. This sort of thing sometimes develops automatically; not because you chose to be on this or on that side, but just because by birth you distinguish between I, my and my group and so the other group is the enemy. Since you have seen I as superior, naturally you see the others [as less]. That is why this side and that side, this group and that group, like and dislike automatically come up. Because of this, our mind will try to improve this side, and protect it against any harm that comes from that side. Because of that we do have attachment to this side and hatred towards the others. Also when saying something, we will try to present our point in such a way that it is a little better than the point of that side. That is how in our speech we make a distinction. And even physically we work for this and against that. That is how our body, mind and speech act without our control. Without control we work on the basis of self and others. That is how we begin to function, how we create different karmas. That is also how our karmas and our delusions make us take rebirth continuously. Not only that. We also sort of build up a relation of attachment to this group and of hatred to that group. Even if you would change groups, the attachment continues. And because of that continuation we do different deeds, create different karmas. That is why some will be good rebirths and some will be bad. That is how samsara functions. Buddha said that it is karma and delusions that create the good and bad rebirths and the good and bad results in our life. There is not ‘someone up in the sky’ who planned something for you. There is no being called the creator who comes down and to put you here and there. You created things yourself through the way of the causes: your karma and your delusions. That is Buddha’s second noble truth.

Third truth: the truth of the cessation of suffering Then the question rises: Can we stop all suffering that functions continuously with the individual? Buddha explained that we can. This suffering was brought on the basis of self, the imagination of a superior self within us. Because of that we created a cause [for suffering] and because of that cause we have a result of suffering. So, if you stop that cause, then all this suffering can definitely reverse and you can gain the cessation [of suffering]. You can obtain cessation by reversing the circle. Then the question comes: Is it possible to really exhaust the delusions completely? Yes, it is possible. Why? If you look at anger, attachment etc., you see it is not always the same, there are degrees. Some people are more, some are less angry. Even within the individual it changes; some people may be usually very angry, but due to certain things the anger reduces and they become less angry. Some people may be strongly attached to something, but due to certain reasons you may lose that attachment. This is an indication that there is impermanence within that. It indicates that delusions are not solid and permanent. There is no concrete structure in there and therefore it is changeable and can definitely go away, exhaust. Look for example at water. The nature of water is pure, clean and clear, but as we pollute it, it becomes dirty. However, the dirtiness of the water is not the nature of the water; from itself water is not dirty. Similarly, the sky is clean and clear; sometimes we get clouds, but that does not mean the sky is clouded by nature; the clouds are temporary. The nature of the sky is clean and clear, the nature of the water is clean and clear and similarly the nature of the mind is light, clear and clean, while delusions (whether anger or attachment or ignorance) temporarily cover it up.

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 151 On the one hand we look at self as permanent. Self-permanence is called ‘continuation of time’, meaning, “I am the one who was there before and I am continuing here today and I will continue to function in future.” The time is joining past, present and future. Underline this, it is very important: the time is joining the past me, present me and future me. So instead of seeing myself as impermanent, as changing, the time joining them together makes it into a continuation. Because of that self-cherishing comes up and creates non-virtues and all this.

Another point Buddha was making, is this. When we feel, notice or experience something different, then even though it is suffering all the same, at the beginning we acknowledge it as pleasure. For example: when you keep on walking all the time and you get tired and sit down, you think, “Wow, it is great to sit down.” So we look at sitting down as a pleasure. If you keep on sitting all the time, you will get difficulties again and you’ll want to walk. When you begin to sit or walk you feel good and don’t recognize the pains that are going to be caused by sitting, that are going to be caused by walking. Therefore at the beginning level we acknowledge it as a pleasure. If it were true pleasure, real happiness, it would have to be the result of the cause of happiness and the happiness should be continuing. But it does not. If you walk too much, you get tired and have pain. If you sit too much, you also get pain. In nature it ís suffering that is continuing. Similarly the point of purity. If somebody else spits on our body, we think it is dirty. But if it is our own [it doesn’t matter and] we consider our body to be clean. In true reality, it’s the same. It is we who make the difference. So perceiving permanence, pleasure, purity or self – all of them are in reality our dualistic view, our faulty perception. Where does that come from? All of that comes from the superior mind perceiving I. When you think, “This is me, this is I,” you just somehow acknowledge something solid, something of which you can say, “Hey, that is me,” a big, solid thing which you can sort of feel is there. That is the cause of all these four aspects of suffering.144

Emptiness So the subject of our talk today is emptiness. When we begin to look at emptiness, we have to see the emptiness of me and others, of the articles you like and the articles you dislike. Despite like or dislike, from its nature things do not really, truly exist. They are empty of true self-existence. True self-existence means: existing without depending on many particles, not being just combined together and then labeled as this or that. That sort of self-nature or true existence we have to see that the things are ‘-less’ of. That is our subject today.

When we talk about emptiness, it is very important to talk about dependent existence. Understanding dependent existence is absolutely necessary, otherwise when we look into emptiness, we are in danger of falling into nihilism, of seeing nothingness. The reason why you have to see the dependent existence is this: when we talk about [self and articles or phenomena being] empty, it has to be empty of something. The ‘something’ is that what we normally imagine or perceive. Out of what we normally perceive, we are going to lose something. Therefore there is a possibility of developing the fear of losing something. That is why it is necessary to see the dependent existence. To be able to refute what the object is empty of, some great teachers have said that you first have to recognize the object of refutation, while some others say that is not necessary. So there are two ways of explaining. The great Tsongkhapa and others say it is important to [first] recognize the object to be refuted.

The object to be refuted When you look at any being or article, let’s say article, how does it exist? It exists just because of a number of particles are combined together and along with that we label it. Just because of the combination of par-

144 All that follows is part of the fourth truth, the truth of the path to the cessation of suffering.

152 Lam Rim Teachings ticles plus the labeling together, this article or object exists. The measurement of existence is about that much.145

No inherent existence. However, we think we can go beyond that. We think we can search and find something in it of which we can say, “this is it.” But you will find there is nothing that you can take out and label “this is it.” If there would be, it would mean there is inherent existence, meaning: something going beyond the combination of particles and beyond the labeling, something existing from its true nature. Take as an example this clock on the table. When we look at the clock, we will say, “This is a clock” and we acknowledge it as a clock. We are not talking about whether its face is the clock or one of the wheels on the inside, or the box on the outside. We are not talking about any of those, we are not going into detail. Without going into the specific parts of the clock, we just see the whole thing and label it ‘clock’. And when you recognize it as a clock, your mind should be satisfied with “this is a clock.” You perceive it as a clock, acknowledge it as a clock and it serves the purpose of a clock. Full stop. When you go beyond that and try to see, “Which is really the clock, which part?” and you dig deep, you are not going to find it. So you have to be satisfied with: acknowledging it is a clock, which serves its purpose, showing the time. Similarly, when you talk about self as an individual, you see the combination of the five skandhas146 and on the basis of these we label the person ‘John’ or whatever. We should be satisfied with that being John. However, if we say tell our mind “you have to be satisfied here,” our mind will feel a little uneasy; it will be missing something. We take for granted that there is something beyond that, known as John, that will come out of its own way. That is how our normal rational mind looks into things. The same goes for friends and enemies, likables and dislikables. All of them also exist as a combination of form and being labeled by us. From the nature of the individual, there is no enemy, friend, likable or dislikable. If that would exist from its own nature, then it should have been the same to all. But that is not the case. Even to one individual, a person can be likable for a while and after a while become dislikable. It changes. That is a clear sign that those do not exist from their nature. Since when you are searching deeply, you cannot find that of which you can say “this is it,” and since if you take all parts out you are not going to find anything, some people say it [the thing or person] does not exist, because if it would exist, you should be able to find it by searching. Tsongkhapa, Je Rinpoche, says: By searching you are not going to find it, that is true. But that does not mean it is not there. This [not finding it] is the sign of not inherently existing, but it is not the sign of not existing. Because on just the combination of object and labeling together, it is able to exist, it is able to function, it does exist. Not finding it deep inside is a clear sign of non-inherent existence. So, when you talk about emptiness, it has to be empty of something and that empty of something is empty of inherent existence. In our normal perception, when we look and see somebody, or hear someone talk, we sort of perceive something beyond the combination, beyond just existence. We think and look microscopically and find something which it is not going to be. When you say ‘empty’, it means empty of that type of existence. It is recommended to look into it, to meditate and try to find that [inherently existing] self, see where it exists. From crown to toe, from toe to crown you try to find out where that big thing called I exists. Look up and down and search. And when you do that, you will find it is not there. Then you’ll begin to say, “Oh, it is not there as part of my particles body, but it might be somewhere else. Maybe it is at my right or at my left side or above or in between.” And when you begin to look that way, you will easily see it is not there either. When that happens, some people begin to develop fear, “I am not there, I lost myself completely.” By this people can develop a fear of not being there.

Wrong understandings. Since you started searching everywhere and you didn’t find anything to point out as the self, some people say, “That is a clear sign the person does not exist. That is emptiness. Put your mind on that empty, on that not thinking on anything, on just that blank.” When you meditate that way, it

145 Also see Gehlek Rimpoche, Self and Selflessness. 146 The five aspects of a person: form, feeling, recognition, volition and consciousness. Also see Glosssary (volume I).

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 153 will also stop a lot of delusions. For example, in the samsaric realms there are basically three divisions: the realm of desire, the realm of form and the formless realm. Among the formless realms there is one called ‘space-like’. There is no form, so therefore you cannot point out anything. The karma to be reborn in that area is more or less created here, because when you are looking throughout your form and you never find a form that can be identified as you, as I, your mind gets completely blocked to the recognition of I by form, which blocks the delusions temporarily and also creates the karma of being reborn in the space-like formless realm [also called realm of infinite space]. After that some people will go, “Okay, we are concentrating on our form and we find there is no form at all, therefore we should look in our mind.” Having looked for a form outside, they then will look into the mind itself [and concentrate on that. That will lead to a rebirth in the realm of infinite consciousness]. Some say, “Looking into the mind itself is not enough. You have to go even beyond that; now you have to concentrate on nothingness. The forms are out, the mind is out, now what you are left with is nothingness. So you have to concentrate on nothingness: ‘-less’ of form, ‘-less’ of mind.” [That will lead to rebirth in the realm of nothingness.] Some people will say that one has to go even beyond that, because thinking on nothingness is a functioning of mind. So anything that you perceive in the mind, anything that comes up, is not right and has to be pushed out completely. You just do nothing, just sit there. They call this a meditation on great wisdom and they sit on it. It helps a lot to block the delusions [and will lead to rebirth in the peak of cyclic existence realm]147.

Tsongkhapa’s advice. Je Rinpoche emphasizes that that is not the way. When you search within yourself to the point that you really find, “I don’t think I exist,” then acknowledge that mind and concentrate on, “I do not truly exist from my own true nature.” When you are focusing on “I am not truly existing” and that mind becomes tired, and is not sharp or concentrated enough any more, then let it go and begin to search again, “If I exist, how do I exist?” Go over it all again, just like before. And when you find the conclusion, “Hah, I am not truly existing,” in other words when you have rebuilt, re-energized your thought on that, then focus and concentrate on it again.

How we can meditate on ‘I’ in daily life. When you are angry with somebody, you say, “That one insulted me, said bad things to me and about me!” and you get upset. Now, when you get upset, say, “Why am I getting upset? Who is the person who is getting upset? Who is the person being insulted? Who or what is that? Where is that I that can be insulted? Where is that I that feels abused? Where is that I which has been set back?” You search and meditate on it. Similarly, when you are down and feeling bad, search: Who is feeling down? Where is the one perceiving these bad feelings? Where is the I that says, “I blew it, I’m finished” etc. Who is that I and where is it? When you search back and forth, again you’ll probably find: that I is also not anywhere. When we carefully look at ourselves, we find we often say, “Oh that is me. I have been insulted, I have been hurt, I have been this, I have been that.” That I labeled by our mind does not really exist. If that were the I that exists, then everybody should have acknowledged it. But when you look at me, you are not going to acknowledge that as an I, you are going to acknowledge that as a you. It is only me who says it is I. Do you get it? This tries to tell you I is dependent on the other side. This itself indicates that what we think of as I, something superior and important, is not there. If that is true, íf the I does not really exist, how do we get to know that? We need to find out logically how that I does not exist. What we just mentioned with regard to I as a being, is true for all existing things. In all existing things there is nothing that exists from its true nature. The logical reasons we can use to find that out, is the dependent arising. Therefore interdependence is important.

Ways of investigating phenomena in order to find emptiness There are many ways of looking into existence. One way is known as looking into the action [or the function that an object performs]. If you look at fire, you see that it burns. Look at air, it moves. Look at the earth, it is stable. That is known as action reasoning or the logical way of looking into the action.

147 See chart 4 on p. 195.

154 Lam Rim Teachings Another one is dependence. Wherever and whatever you look at, everything is dependent. Everything functions and every functioning is depending on some other; actions are depending on each other, are interre- lated, interconnected, interlinked. All things are dependent on and connected to each other, are able to function because of each other, are interdependent. That is the reasoning of [inter]-dependence. Another one is looking from the nature point of view. Since there are inhabitants, there has to be environment; if there is a fit environment there have to be inhabitants. Since you are born, you have to die. Since you grow, you have to dissolve or dismantle. An example from the nature way of looking is this: if you are an angry person and you build up reasons why you have to be angry, the anger automatically grows stronger. If you keep on thinking that the anger is not really justified and you think about patience, the power of anger reduces within the individual, which we can see. That way we can also find emptiness.

Dependent existence [Skt. pratityasamutpada, Tib. tendrel148] Out of all this we would like to pick up as the basis here, what is said in the praise, That what dependently arises has no cessation, no production. This reasoning is known as existence on the basis of dependence and we are going to look into that a little more. This line has a lot of different explanations.

1) Causality and interconnection. Whatever result we have, depends on its cause. The existence of something not only depends on the cause, but [cause and effect are] also interconnected. That is one way of looking. The word rten cing means dependent. So [we talk about] existing because of dependence. We mentioned that it is not only dependent, it is interconnected. Now the original Sanskrit does not really say interconnected. It simply says it is pure and it is perfect, which really does not make sense. So the Tibetan inter- preters changed ‘pure and perfect’ into interconnecting, meaning not just interconnected, but: due to the movement of the cause, due to the change of the cause, the result will materialize accordingly. That indicates that cause and results are not disconnected but connected, connected because the movement of the cause changes the result. So the reason why sam [in pratityasamutpada] has not been translated as pure but as connection, is that. Similarly when you talk about the way of existing, [we said] existence is on the basis of a person which you label so and so. The base on which you label are the five skandhas: form, feeling, recognition, volition, consciousness; its combination. On the basis of those you don’t only label a self, but you also function out of those. Not only do you depend on that, but you connect and you function. Do you get it? Ten cing drel ba jung149. Ten: you are based on, drel: you are connected, jung: the result, arising, you came out of it, you function. The functioning of the self or I, the person, depends on the five skandhas. The five skandhas function as a person. It is all connected, not functioning separately. If you separate the self and the five skandhas, then the person does not exist. So it is interconnected. Not the person, but the functioning of the person is connected. The word jung is the most important here, is about how it exists: the connection is based on that combination. When we talk about functioning, what are we talking about? A tree growing, a person being born, something that comes up in my mind – all these sort of things are results, which we talk of as functioning, happening, effects. How did this existence come about? Existence depends on many causes. It is not that one cause brings one result; one result depends on many different causes as well as on many different conditions. Those many different causes and conditions together make it happen. That is a clear indication that this existence is not self-existence or true existence. If so, the question of many causes and many conditions would not rise. Since something depends on many causes and conditions for its existence, it is a clear indication it is not truly or inherently existing.

148 Transliteration: rten 'brel (short for rten cing 'brel bar 'byung ba) 149 Transliteration: rten cing ’brel bar ’byung ba. Dependent origination, dependent co-arising, interdependent origination, ‘occurring in dependent connection’; dependent arising, relationistic origination, interdeterminate nature of existence, relativity.

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 155 2) Dependence upon parts. Since the existence of something depends on many causes and conditions, the result that you have also has a lot of different parts. The different parts combined together are able to function in a certain way. So the existence of something is due to the many parts combined together. And that we name, we label, we acknowledge. That is how existence comes about. Take for example a flower. The causes of the flower are seed, soil and all this. Then, if you look into each one of the causes, you’ll see they consist of millions of items. All these different items combined together are able to provide the flower. That flower itself also contains many items. On the combination of all these, you will be able to name it this or that flower. But if you start searching through the flower, if you take the petals out, the stem out, the leaves out, the roots out etc. and you say, “which one is the flower, where is the flower?” you’re not going to find it. The same goes for a person, a being. We look at a person and based on the form we label someone as this or that person. But if you start looking deeply inside, piece by piece, for the form itself, you are not going to find it. So, not only does the person depend on the form, but also the form itself depends on the combination [of many things]. There is no little piece which you can label “this is the form.” Look into your body. Take for example a hand. The hand exists on the combination of the fingers. If you take a finger, it depends on the combination of different cells, on many atoms. No matter how much you microscopically go down and search, you are never going to find one tiny little piece that can not be divided again, which can be separated and be labeled as, “this is the hand.” The same goes for anything. It can always be divided further and there is no end to it. That is a clear indication for no inherent existence. If there would be something inherently existing, there would somewhere be a point that could not be divided and of which you could say, “Here it is.” So the view presented here is: there will be no small item which cannot be divided. If there is –how do we know there is not, we are not talking about what we can or cannot see with our eyes, we are going far beyond that – if there would be such a thing that you cannot divide [any further], then when two of those things came together they should become oneness. But that is not the case; when two of those little pieces come together they will be side by side rather than being oneness, and then become bigger and bigger. That is how we, the whole universe, the beings and everything exist. Wherever you look, it is the combination. Existence depends on parts and parcels. So nothing is inherently existing. Whether it is a person or an article, it is functioning by combination only. Nothing inherent is coming out. Why? Because existence is dependent.

3) No inherent existence. Take going or coming. We normally say, “I went, I have come” as though we have done everything by ourselves. But if you look into going – putting one foot before the other – then going depends on many things again. Number one: you need a base on which to walk. Also you depend on your legs, and your legs depend on the many parts they consist of. You also depend on your muscles, nerves, airs, bones and flesh. There are millions of different items combined together, in order to somehow put one leg before the other and go. Without looking in we think, “I have done it, I am walking”, but walking is totally dependent. It even depends on the open space, without which you cannot go. Although we say, “I am going” your going also depends on the air and the atmosphere. With a different atmosphere you may not be able to move your legs at all or you might not have your legs under control and you’d fly away. So it all depends. It all depends on the right conditions and the right pieces and so many things together. Now look for example at coming: coming from a previous life to this life. If you look at this life as me [being here] with all these feelings and everything, and you think that you have come here from a previous life, that is not the case. The same goes for going from here to a future life. What happens is: we are not going to go with our perception, recognition etc. of today. We have to forget all that. Also the particles that help us to recognize, like the eye to see, the ear to hear, the nose to smell etc., gradually reduce their power of recognition and we forget and finally disconnect totally. And then some kind of continuation, a little left-over of the natural mind will go and meet with another condition and then begins to function and starts growing and becoming again. Similarly, growing or being born also do not truly exist. Let us take a flower. When you put down the seed of the flower and the conditions are right, the flower will start growing. The flower seed is the cause of the flower, but during the seed period the flower is not in there. If during the seed period the flower were there, we should be able to find the flower within the seed, but we’re not. We put the seed in the

156 Lam Rim Teachings ground, give it heat, give it moisture and then it changes, depending on how the conditions change. Ac- cording to the conditions the seed will grow; you will see some leaves, it grows a little bigger, then you will see the buds and finally you’ll be able to see the flower. So that very flower does not exist as a flower during the period of the cause, the seed. If so, the flower should be within the seed, but it is not. Likewise coming, going, discontinuation, permanence, oneness, separateness, all of them do not really exist from their true nature. This is one way of explaining. Another way of explaining [that there is no inherent existence] is this: in the presence of the true meditative stage of the arya level, nothing of that type is existing. But we’d better talk about that later.150

I and my versus equality The four immeasurables. We said we all have a very strong feeling of I and mine and therefore we think, “I am the most important one.” We have a strong feeling of an I existing independently, from our own side. We feel very self-cherishing and very different from others. We have that strong I. Then after that comes my: my father, my mother, my relatives. Strong attachment occurs to our parents, relatives etc. After that comes, “How wonderful if my relatives and my friends would meet with happiness.” Wishing happiness for ourselves and for those we like, we all have, all sentient beings have. For practitioners of Mahayana, this thought of wishing happiness for myself, my mother, my relatives and my friends, is wrong. Those who are practitioners of Mahayana have to feel that all sentient beings want happiness and don’t want to finish it, and that both ourselves and other sentient beings are equal in that respect: all want happiness and don’t want suffering. That kind of mind you have to have. You should think, “I myself want happiness and I don’t want even the smallest of sufferings. That equals others; they all want happiness and don’t want suffering.” You have to see that others and myself are equal: all wanting happiness and not wanting suffering. For those we like we have the idea, “How wonderful if they were free from suffering” and for those we don’t like or we don’t care about, we don’t feel that way. This kind of partial thought and feeling, calling friends those whom you love, even animal beings have. A Mahayana practitioner should think, “May all sentient beings have happiness and how wonderful it would be if they were free from sufferings.” Similarly, for those we love we feel and think, “How wonderful if my friends and my relatives would never be separated from this happiness; may they have more and more happiness.” We don’t feel the same for other sentient beings. For those we don’t like, we don’t care that way. Again, this is not enough for those who want to practice Mahayana. Even animal beings have this feeling. A Mahayana practitioner should have the thought and feeling, “May all sentient beings never be separated from happiness and its opportunities or circumstances.” So you have to look at it as, “We ourselves don’t like to be separated from happiness and joy and that is equal to others.” Similarly, we feel that those we like should have more happiness and sources of happiness and be free from suffering; for those we don’t like we don’t feel this. When we feel that way our idea is too small; we are just thinking about ourselves and not thinking about all sentient beings as mother beings. As a practitioner of Mahayana we want to serve others, whether they are our friend, our enemy or a neutral being. You have to feel that they all equally want happiness and don’t want suffering. We do have these ideas: to some we feel closer and to some more distant; some we love, some we don’t love. This feeling or thought does not exist from its own side. We created it, we made up our mind, our feelings: those we love we feel as closer, to those we don’t like we feel distant and there are those we don’t care about. For example, you have a close friend that for some reason became your enemy and some enemy that because of some circumstances became your friend. That means that friend and enemy do not exist from their own side, do not exist independently. They are just made out of our own idea, which forced us to look this way, to make the distinction. Similarly, there are neutral beings, beings of whom we don’t care whether they have happiness or suffering. But again that is just our own one-way thinking. These neutral beings at some time were or can become our friends. There is no rule that an enemy always has to be an enemy, a friend always a friend, and a neutral being always neutral. It changes with your thoughts. Nothing exists independently, from its own.

150 See page 164.

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 157 It is difficult to regard friends, neutral beings and enemies equally as friends, but we try to develop this by contemplating them as friends. For those who have happiness, you rejoice, you support, “Wonder- ful that they have happiness.” For those who have difficulties, we try to feel, “Which way can I help them? How wonderful if those beings would be free from these sufferings or difficulties.” So by thinking you can begin to feel all sentient beings as your friends. It just depends on our own thinking. Those who achieved enlightenment feel or see all other beings as their mother, their brothers and sisters. They feel them as my and not as enemy, neutral being or friend. They equally pay attention to all sentient beings. Therefore they achieved enlightenment. So we too have to generate or develop that kind of feeling. So, if we want to eliminate our faults, the root is to see all sentient beings as our mothers. Where do the non-virtues and faults come from? From harming mother beings or sentient beings. Harming sentient beings creates these faults, so just seeing all sentient beings as your mother or as your brother is the best, the strongest antidote you use to eliminate the non-virtues and faults. It is described in the sutras: When someone builds up gold and silver stupas equal to the number of grains of sand in the river Ganges and offers them to the Three Jewels, he or she gets a tremendous virtuous result. But those who developed love and compassion to all mother beings for even one moment, get a much stronger result, incomparable to that of the person who built stupas equal to the number of grains of sand in the river Ganges. Just the development of a moment of seeing all sentient beings as your mother, developing that kind of compassion, gives a benefit without limit. Shantideva said in his Bodhisattvacharyavatara, If even a benevolent intention Excels venerating the Buddhas, Then what need to mention striving to make All beings without exception happy? Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 1, vs. 27 Even if you can’t help the sentient beings directly, having this feeling of wanting to help all mother beings gives you more benefits than making offerings to all buddhas. It also says that there is no other way to please the buddhas but wanting to help sentient beings. What is the buddhas’ and bodhisattvas’ main thinking? Wanting to help all mother sentient beings. So developing love and compassion to all sentient beings is your real offering, the real method to please the buddhas.

Basis, path and result Basis. The basis is the two truths: the ultimate truth and the conventional truth. Appearances and phenomena that appear are called conventional truth. Conventional truths do not exist from their own side, do not exist inherently or independently. That is called emptiness [or ultimate truth]. The basis now is to rely upon the ultimate truth. Then you can develop love and compassion for others, accumulate virtuous deeds and develop wisdom. On the basis of the conventional truth everything happens, rebirth and death, the four immeasurables and everything. Conventional phenomena lack inherent existence; they do not exist inherently. That does not mean conventional phenomena do not exist at all. If you feel that way, if you think that conventional phenomena do not exist, you fall into one of the extremes [the extreme of nihilism]. Therefore ‘does not exist’ means it does not exist inherently; it does not mean that it does not exist at all. You have to learn the distinction between inherent existence and existence. The conventional phenomena, that appear for us as beautiful, ugly or whatever, do not exist in the way they appear to us and that is called emptiness or the ultimate truth. That is the basis: the conventional and the ultimate truth.

Path. These are the two paths: of wisdom and method. The method is developing love and compassion. Wisdom is understanding how and in which way conventional things exist. Things do not exist inherently, do not exist from their own side, they just exist on name and concept. How can you develop wisdom? By seeing that conventional things do not exist inherently, that they lack inherent existence. Things exist dependently, in reliance upon parts, causes and conditions. Without relying upon causes and conditions

158 Lam Rim Teachings nothing exists. Wisdom is this understanding of the reality of phenomena, the nature of the phenomena. These are the two paths.

Result. After developing the two paths of wisdom and method, you achieve the two results, the two kayas. After developing the method path you achieve the form body or rupakaya of a buddha. After developing the wisdom, you achieve the truth body or dharmakaya of a buddha. When you learn dependent arising, you will understand the conventional path, the method. Thinking continuously on the lack of inherent existence helps to develop the wisdom. Wisdom and method are the paths to reach the two kayas of a buddha: the form body [Skt. rupakaya, Tib. zug ku], which you can see and which can function, and the truth body [Skt. dharmakaya, Tib. chö ku], the mental part.

In short, the foundation or base is referring to the present situation: we are in the nature of the two truths with no separation. From there we will use the paths or the practice of method and wisdom, which are able to function with us because of the condition we are in: the dependent origination. Then as a result you are going to get the two bodies of a buddha, the form body or rupakaya, and the dharmakaya, the mental part, which you don’t see. When you say, “I am practicing buddhism,” that is basically what it is. Why do we need to practice the two of them, method and wisdom? When we need to grow, our body has to mature as well as our mind, right? Similarly, a buddha is maturing. When you are maturing your buddha, you also need to feed its body to become the ultimate or best body. So you use all the methods, like love and compassion, as the vitamins for building your buddha body. For maturing your mental capacity you need the wisdom. That is why both wisdom and method are necessary. The meditation of the four immeasurables and the meditation of wisdom are giving both. All Buddha’s teachings, whether Mahayana or Hinayana, have emphasized both the four immeasurables, the love-compassion path, as well as emptiness, the wisdom path.

Emptiness of the person – the five skandhas or aggregates Form [Skt. rupa; Tib. zug]. The Hinayana also talks about emptiness and the example given here is that the physical form is like a bubble in water. That is a good example, because when you look at a bubble it looks big and solid, but in reality, if you make a little hole in there, it disappears. In Hinayana the form part is said to be like that, which is showing the emptiness of it. Get it?

Feelings [Skt. vedana; Tib. tsorwa]. The example for this is again the water and the bubbles, but in a different way. Let us say you have a lake and rainfall on it. Due to the rain water hitting the water of the lake different kinds of bubbles will come as a reaction. We react in a similar way. We think we are getting hurt and because of that we show small bubbles. It is the external thing that comes in that gives you the bubbles. Similarly, we perceive the feelings; they look strong and solid, but in true reality they are empty in nature, like a bubble. We get good and bad feelings depending on how we perceive. We see that this gives us trouble, that gives us pleasure etc.; we project that and accept it. However, if you look very carefully, it is not really true that others are giving us good and bad feelings. These good and bad feelings grow within us according to the way we perceive. If our feelings were due to the nature of the object, then when you use the same object you should have the same good feelings or the same bad feelings. But we don’t. Sometimes, when we are happy, we look at something and think, “Wow, it is great, wonderful.” Sometimes our mental state is not happy and when we use the same thing it does not give us that pleasure, it may give us some trouble or unpleasant feelings. This is a clear sign that the good or bad feelings we perceive are not coming from the nature of the object, but that it is the perception of our perceiving mind [that causes the feeling]. Is that clear? According to the teachings, also the sufferings that we get, particularly the mental sufferings, are [due to] the way we perceive. Mostly it is we who project and perceive them. It does not mean we don’t have that pain. We do have problems. However, we enlarge them, we magnify them, we torture ourselves much more than what is in accord with what there is. An example. If you have a little physical pain and you think, “Well, it is okay, I can take it, I am brave,” the pain you experience is less. If you enlarge it, “Oh my God, my eye, I am suffering and this will cause this” the suffering the person has to experience becomes

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 159 more and more. Although there may not be more pain, you feel more, you experience more. That is your mentally blowing it up, magnifying it. So it unnecessarily becomes more than what you really should have. Another example. There are two friends. Both have identical, very precious, sentimentally valuable jewelry. A thief comes by and both lose the jewelry. Both have lost the same thing, but the one will not worry about it, and take Shantideva’s attitude, Why be unhappy about something If it can be remedied? And what is the use of being unhappy about something If it cannot be remedied? Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life [Bodhisattvacharyavatara], ch. 6, vs. 10 But the other one will say, “My God, it is so valuable to me, it was given to me by so and so, it costs this much, I can never find it again, it has a sentimental value, it is terrible.” If a person keeps on worrying like that, he will carry much more worry, pain and mental pressure than the other one. It can even go to the extent that your food loses its taste and you can’t sleep at night. That is how much suffering you can put yourself in. In true reality two persons each lost an identical object, but how they experienced it was completely different because of their different mental perception.

Perception or discrimination [Skt. samjna; Tib. dushe]. The perception is like a magician’s show. You know, a magician will produce some kind of thing, like taking a bird out of your ear etc. Actually there is no bird coming out of your ear, but the magician provides it. Perception does the same. We perceive things and in true reality it might also be something, but we perceive it in a completely different way. It is like a magician’s show.

Volition, compositional factors, formation [Skt. samskara; Tib. duche]. The fourth one is volition or will [or habitual tendencies]. That is: after perceiving you put recognition on it and what you make out of it is like a banana tree. (This is coming from the Hinayana sutra.151) It looks big and solid, almost as strong as an oak, but if you try to cut it, it is a very soft tree. Like that you can perceive this skandha: it looks like a solid tree, but in reality it is soft.

Consciousness [Skt. vijnana; Tib. namshe]. Consciousness is compared to a magician’s show. You can explain it this way. Look into our normal functioning. We take things from inside [our own circle] as more reliable. If you want to know something, you ask a person you know or a member of your group. If sangha members or family members say something, we take that to be of more value en we consider it more true than [when it comes from] someone outside. For example, you want to buy a second-hand car and you want to know how good that car is. The advertisers or sellers will tell you a lot of things but you are not going to listen to them very much, you are going to listen to somebody you know, some family member or someone else from within; you take their word instead of the word of the second-hand car dealer. Similarly within ourselves. We always trust the inner more than the outer. We rather tell ourselves something than being told by family members. Within ourselves we trust our mental capacity more than our physical feelings. We always have a perception of things in our mind. We kind of have the consciousness inside looking through the window of the eye and seeing and acknowledging. We sort of perceive that way. In reality that is not true. How the consciousness perceives a form outside is also dependently originated. It depends on the capacity of the eye, on the individual person’s acknowledgement, on the object and everything. It has to be the right thing at the right moment and it needs to be perceived rightly. If something is wrong with your eyes, you may see everything red and you will insist there is no white car in the street but a maroon one. So it is dependent. That is why the [mental] show that you get is compared to a magician’s show.

151 Feelings are like bubbles, Discriminations are like mirages, Compositional factors are like banana trees, Consciousnesses are like magical illusions. Thus [the Buddha] the Sun-friend said. Ref. Jeffrey Hopkins, Compassion in Tibetan Buddhism, p. 168.

160 Lam Rim Teachings This is how [we can see that] the five skandhas are not truly existent. Everything depends on the conditions. All results we enjoy or hate, we get because of this time and these conditions. They are not given from their true nature. It is very important to see that even the five skandhas are not truly existing because they need time and conditions. To be able to function, to be able to feel, to be able to experience, to be able to perceive, all skandhas depend on time and conditions. If something arises dependently it does not exist from its true nature.

Five points of reasoning dependent existence Briefly we mentioned to you how things arise dependently. If you look a little more into it, there are five points of reasoning: Something arises because of causes and conditions. Something arises because there is some kind of seed and capability. That is like where we discussed the continuation. Something rises because it is impermanent. Not one, but many impermanences are functioning together at that time. There are many causes and conditions and each one of them is impermanent. That is why functioning is possible. Something arises not because somebody has mentally created it. In other words, there is no creator. If there were a principal creator who thinks, “I should create Tom, Dick and Harry over there,” because of that thought he would produce them. Since Tom, Dick and Harry were not created by a creator that created them mentally, dependent arising is possible to function. Translated from the Tibetan, it says ‘by not moving’. That air moves is explained as not being created by a creator. Something arises because of selflessness

Causes and conditions. There is one school that when looking at this world, says, “Well, by nature this universe is there; nobody made it, there is no cause, nothing; all of a sudden, with a big boom, it appeared as this universe and it functions and that is it, it is natural.” Well, if that were true, then wherever there is empty space there should be a universe, because there is no reason why it should not be there. Or once the universe is there, it should always be the same, because there is no reason why it should be changing. If there is no cause for coming into existence, then after that why does it disappear? Why does it have to grow old, decay and be destroyed? Why? There is no reason. Another school says, “The universe is created out of a partless particle, a fundamental unit of matter, very, very small and permanent in nature. (Remember, we said before that no matter, how small it may be, there’s always a pair [it is always divisible].152) All of a sudden many permanent atoms came together, touched each other and became a bigger object, and then because of many atoms being together it became impermanent and that is how the environment and mountains, trees and so forth were created.” They also say that time is permanent and that because of that, when the time comes, the universe came about. A lot of us say, “If something has to happen, it will happen.” So naturally we say that basically you don’t have a fundamental unit that is ‘partless’, that you cannot cut and of which you cannot say, ‘this is this side and that is that side of it’; you cannot divide it that way. If that were possible, no matter how many of them would come, they would become one with that one, because it cannot be touched and yet remain [as it is]. The moment you touch it sides will come up. So, if you say that such a thing exists, [it is shown by this reasoning that] basically it is not possible. Moreover, if something is a permanent, solid piece, it cannot change because it is permanent. Therefore it is not possible to accept the idea of the existence [developing from] such a partless, sideless, fundamental unit.

Impermanence. Permanence cannot be accepted, because if something is permanent it cannot change. If it changes it is impermanent. Regarding the time, the Buddhists say you can’t say time is permanent, because there is no thing called time that is existing from its own nature without depending on anything. Time is dependent. Suppose we have set a meeting time. That time depends on a lot of things together. People are bound to meet, sit together and when they separate the meeting is over. So time is also a dependent arising. When the sun rises in the east and the light is coming in, we call it morning or dawn. Again, it is depend-

152 See page 155. All things consist of parts, at least directional parts, like the right side of some thing and the left side of it.

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 161 ent. The same goes for dusk, when the sun goes down. We label it, we recognize it and so time is able to function. This is important: time is able to function because we provide the conditions. So the principle nature of interdependent origination is: not only do you have to depend on one cause, you depend on a number of different causes together. They change, the conditions are provided and then something is able to function. It is 12.15 now, so we recognize it is time for lunch. It is not the time pushing us; it is us recognizing the time. If time were permanent, then without our control, it would be so, but it is not.

Seed and capability. To continue, everything functions on the basis of dependent origination rather than on somebody making up his mind and creating something. Take for example the growth of crops. Nobody has decided it should grow; neither did the seed make up its mind nor did it come from somebody’s decision. Suppose a farmer created perfect causes and conditions to have a good yield, but someone would sit there and try by the power of his mind, “Let it not grow, let it not grow!” No matter how much you make up your mind, it is not going to stop the good yield. Similarly, if we create the perfect karma and conditions to be able to take rebirth into the lower realms, when the karma has ripened and has already started functioning, no matter how many people will sit there and try to think, “This person is not going to be reborn into a lower realm,” it is difficult to change it. But you can make corrections before. If you don’t want to go to the lower realms, you prepare beforehand. When the conditions are ripe it is very difficult, no matter how much you are thinking, “I am not going to hell, I am not going to hell!” In short, nothing will function just because someone makes up his mind that way. Things are only able to function when the correct cause is there and the conditions have rightly ripened; only then will the corresponding result materialize.

Selflessness. .Selflessness here does not mean I-lessness. Here it refers to some kind of self-picture of an independent [self-sufficient] permanent self153, in other words like [come about by] a creator. In Bud- dhism they call it ‘with five qualities’: permanent, independent, not depending, not changeable, not created. When you say selfless, it means -less of all of them.

In short, when you look at something functioning, it does not grow without cause but it grows with a number of causes and the right conditions; it does not depend on somebody who is creating something by mind; it is not permanent but impermanent, changing; it has an impermanent cause because with a permanent cause nothing can happen [and it has no independent self-sufficient nature]. [But when causes and conditions are ripe] it is going to materialize, the result is going to take place. When you talk about permanence, there are two kinds of permanence. One is: you say it is always there, continuously. Another one is: whatever may happen with causes and conditions, it does not change at all, it will always remain like that. So all results function without having something from their true nature. It all depends on the causes and conditions and when those are ripe, at that moment things are able to function and happen. Therefore, when you start searching within that thing, “What is this one really? Really deeper, what is it?” if you take all these parts and particles out separately, there is nothing really to be found of which you can say, “That is the one.” That is not going to be found.

The sevenfold reasoning for ascertaining selflessness of phenomena154 The traditional Indian example is the horse-cart. But let us make it a car. What is the car really? 1) Not being the parts. If you take the car to pieces, take the wheels off, take the chassis out, take the gearbox out, take the clutches out and if you then look at each one of these parts and ask yourself, “Is this the car?”, you are not going to find the car in there at all. There is no car that way. 2) Not being other than the parts. Suppose you look for a car besides the parts. Okay, this is the yellow car, but where is the blue one? When you look separately from your yellow and blue car, at yellow and blue, you can see this part is yellow and that part is blue, but you are not going to find another piece there

153 Ref. Dalai Lama, The Meaning of Life, p. 15. 154 Literature: Jeffrey Hopkins, Emptiness Yoga, ch. 14-16.

162 Lam Rim Teachings of which you can say, “Ha, this is the car; those are the parts of the car, but this is the real car.” You are not going to find that. 3) Not being inherently based on the parts. You may say that all the parts have the car within it, like when we say ‘horse-man’ to a man carried by a horse. It is also not in that manner. 4) Not being the base of the parts. Also, the car cannot be put on the parts of the car, like fruit can be put on a plate. 5) Not inherently possessing the parts. Nor can – vice versa – the parts of the car be put on the car. If that were so, if all the parts could be put on top of the car, then there should be two separate identities, called ‘the car’ and ‘the parts of the car’. 6) Not being the shape. Then the shape of the car, is that the car? No, because that is called ‘shape of the car’, not ‘the car’. 7) Not being just the collection of the parts. Alright, then all the pieces combined together, is that the car? No. If that were the car, then instead of assembling them you could just put all parts together and have a car, but if you don’t assemble the car [in the right way], you don’t call these parts ‘the car’. So when you look into it from seven angles like this and you search for the car, you are not going to find the car. Then how does the car exist? The parts put together in the right way, in the right order and under the right conditions, we call car and it moves. Just the combination of all those together we call car and it exists and functions as a car. This is what we mean by: just rising and being able to function by being dependent. Just enough, nothing more. So when you look at the car, when you do the analytical screening on the car, and you have this combination and it is functioning, just by that you have to be satisfied and call it ‘car’. Just about that much you have to be satisfied with. You cannot go beyond that. That is why we say: Something exists on the correct collection, by labeling, and by being able to function.

The sevenfold reasoning for ascertaining the selflessness of I155 Similarly, you turn inwardly and examine yourself. 1) Not being the aggregates. Take the division of the five skandhas out and say, “Which one is me: the form, the feelings, the perception, the volition or the mind, which one is it?” None of them. That is why we say that I do not exist as oneness with the aggregates, or as oneness with body or mind. So is there a self or I existing somewhere inside the five aggregates? No. 2) Not being an entity other than the aggregates. Is there an I separate from the body, that has no connection with the five aggregates? No. 3) Not inherently being based on the aggregates. Is the self like the horse-man [dependent on the horse]? No. 4) Not being the base of the aggregates. Before, we said that a plate serves as base for the fruit; is in that manner the self the base of the five aggregates, which are sort of put on it like fruit on a plate? No. 5) Not inherently possessing the aggregates. Okay, then you say that “within the aggregates somewhere is the self.” Is it like the horseman has a horse? No. 6) Not being the shape of the aggregates. Okay, then let us say the shape, the body or the form of the person, is that the self? No. 7) Not being just the collection of the aggregates. Is just the combination of the five aggregates the I? No. Buddha emphasized: on the basis of the combination of the five aggregates, we label ourselves and say I.

How to think and meditate on selflessness of the person When you meditate, you just look for the recognition of a self. If you just look without thinking, without doing an analysis, you probably see somebody called I that is somewhere deep down inside me. Then hold that and say, “Where is that fellow that is supposed to be me, that is called I? Where? Which part is it?” Go from the crown to the toe, from the toe to the crown, from inward out, from outward in. If you search in that manner, you are not going to find it. Then you meditate and say; “Alright, if that I really exists, it should be placed where I am just

155 Literature: Jeffrey Hopkins, Emptiness Yoga, ch. 17.

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 163 now, here where my body is. If that is so, it should be either one with the body or separate from the body.” You search like that, but you are not going to find it. You are not going to find it either in oneness or in separateness at all. Then you check where that I is from the seven angles we mentioned. When you are not finding it, then some will say, “That I that I am perceiving is somebody inside,” so when I say, “Hey, where are you?” somebody will say, “I am here.” You are also not going to find that. You will recognize there is no such a thing in there. Finally you conclude, you make up your mind that there is no such thing in there. You get convinced that the I does not exist from its own side somewhere in there. Then make that conviction stronger and stronger, push your mind in one way, remind yourself, “It is not there, it is not there” and focus on that. Some Tibetan lamas may say, “When you find that it is not there, that it is neither the form nor the mind nor any one of the seven points,” you say, “Oh, it is not there” and you hold your mind on that not being there, on the empty part of it. You searched and searched and did not find it, you found zero. So you put your mind on the zero empty point and meditate. So two different kinds are coming up in the Tibetan tradition. You have to meditate, think and put your thoughts on it very often. And whenever you encounter a difficulty, like whenever you say, “Oh, I have been suffering, I this, I that, I am terrible, I am miserable, I can’t do it,” when these sort of problems come up, think on it, saying, “Where is that I?” When you keep on thinking this a little more within your usual practice, it becomes very helpful. In the traditional Tibetan way, about this time people may go to cemeteries at night and try to practice chöd, the ‘cutting through’. That is a practice of cutting through the self, done at cemeteries, where there are supposed to be a lot of ghosts. As a matter of fact, before you become a ‘ghostbuster’ you have to get a little acquainted with that. So you do a little practice on that. Sometimes when you get frightened, say, “Who is the frightened one?” That may also help you search where the I is. Or when you are very worried, develop a dialogue with yourself, “Who is this one who cannot bear it, who is unable to function, who is having a long face? Who and where is this one?” Keep on searching like that; that is also helpful. When you can’t find that I, it is very difficult to find mine, because: where is mine going to come from when the basis, I, is not there? You may even go a little extreme, saying, “Well, normally I say ‘my this and that’, but when me is not there, where am I going to find ‘my this and that?’” For example, we say my body and we make that very important. Actually it is not my body. It is the body which has come from the combination of the parents and has grown on the combination of all these atoms. I depend on that, that is why I call it my body. But actually there is not very much that is going to be my thing, because it is a combination of a lot of other things and it actually came from my parents’ drops. Suppose something of my, say my companion, will come and help me when I have difficulties. However, when I come to the really difficult point of life, dying, that my business will not come. You have to leave them. ‘My body’ is like a rented apartment. You cannot keep it, you have to leave it. So we call our body my body and we develop a strong attachment to it, but actually it is not really mine. If it were mine, I should be able to take it with me, but when I die I even have to leave my own flesh, blood and bones. Even that I can’t take with me, so forget about the other things that we are attached to. So what big thing is that my? There is nothing of my there. Nothing. So whenever you meditate on emptiness, the first thing you have to do is these analytical reasonings we mentioned. Keep meditating on those and gradually you’ll begin to say, “Hey, it is really not there.” And then you concentrate on that for a little while. When that power of concentration becomes weaker, you go round to the analytical reasoning again and when you find strongly that it is not there, hold it, concentrate on it again. And when the concentration becomes weaker, do the analytical part again. That is how you go.

164 Lam Rim Teachings That type of meditation is called chegom in Tibetan, analytical meditation. You analyze, you reason, you use your wisdom and you make your wisdom dive right deep into it, push through, convince yourself and then when you can’t find it over there, hold that. There are two kinds of meditation: there is the shamatha meditation, where you concentrate on an object, and the other one is analyzing [vipasyana]. The great Tsongkhapa emphasized that even on our mundane everyday level you can think about this and begin to realize, “Hey, the I is not really there.” Also then you have to dive in deeper with your wisdom and find it and hold it. That is important. Suppose you have an enemy and you have to challenge him. When you come face to face with him, you have to look him in the face and say, “Yes, you are the enemy, you are the one I have to get.” When you come face to face with the enemy, you have to do whatever you have to do, rather than closing your eyes; that won’t do any good. Similarly, instead of avoiding the con- frontation [with the I] by methods like holding the mind blank and all this, use your wisdom, dive into it and see, “Ha, my daily perception of the big I is really shaking.” Then hold it, push it, dive into it, put efforts into it and use your wisdom. That is the great Tsongkhapa’s advice.

Dependent existence: what is experienced by aryas in the meditative state Thoughts are generally obstacles, no doubt. However, on our level we have nothing else to hold on to. So, at this moment we need to have a proper understanding and proper thoughts and then dive into it. You really have to nail it down. This is what we have to do, what we can do and what we should do. Use the analytical reasoning, go through it, find it and try to nail it down. The way we are doing it still looks like we are pointing from here, looking over there. We still have this double viewpoint [of subject and object]. But when you get to the arya level, the stage where you are really meditating, there will be no separation. The example given is, that it [subject and object] will be like water in water. When you pour water into water, you cannot separate the poured water from the water that was already there. Similarly, at that time, at that level, it is almost like the perceiving mind becomes empty: there is no separation between the one acknowledging and the object being acknowledged. That is the arya stage, the stage where you become extraordinary. We also call it: seeing the emptiness clearly face to face [or a direct encounter with emptiness]. At the arya stage, during the perfect face-to-face meditation stage, everything we mentioned yesterday, no stopping, no growing, no annihilation, no permanence, no coming, no going, no difference, no sameness, free of the elaborations of inherent existence and of duality [is true experience]. At that level, at that moment, all relative manifest functioning has totally dissolved and for that mind there is nothing. At that moment the object of the mind is all gone to that person. That is the real true dharmadhatu. At that level all manifested functioning is gone, therefore all delusions are gone. That has been taught by the great Buddha. The verse says, “It is Buddha who said that. I bow to Buddha, who is the greatest teacher.” Among the other teachers no one has presented that [viewpoint]. Buddha said: All is created because of the combination of causes and conditions and time. Therefore everything is dependent. When it is dependent, existence is dependent on all the parts. When existence is dependent, it does not exist from its true nature. Therefore it is empty. [Because of being empty] all causes and conditions are able to function. Because of being empty you will be able to function. Because of dependent arising you will be able to function. Because it is dependently arising it is empty. Because it is empty there is room to play. All of them are Buddha’s words. That is why Buddha is called the greatest teacher or the greatest speaker. So Nagarjuna bows to Buddha because of his quality of teaching.

Learning, thinking, meditating Generally, when you look at things – trees, flowers, bees or anything – it is very important to look and see how they are existing. Their existence depends on conditions. When the conditions are ripe, it grows, it

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 165 functions. Buddha said in the Rice Seedling Sutra [Skt. Salistamba Sutra; Tib. Shalu Sutra]156: Hey bikshus, come here. Look at the growing of this little sprout here. Look carefully. One who sees the nature of how it is growing, sees the Dharma. And one who sees the Dharma sees the Buddha. So, one who will be able to see the true nature, will be able to see the dharma and will be able to develop and become a buddha. The true dharmadhatu [the true emptiness], which aryas encounter face to face, is something we cannot describe by words nor can we point it out like, “This is it.” We cannot have an understanding of it and hold on to it. It is beyond description by words and beyond the human imaginative level. It is called, “Although you want to say it, you can’t say it.” Some say, “Out of the two truths, the absolute truth is beyond talking, beyond imagination, beyond understanding.” Others say, “No, you can describe it, you can talk about it, you can imagine something about it. Buddha has presented it so we can talk about it, think about it, get an understanding about it and will be able to hold that; and that serves the purpose.” First, as Buddha has taught, we will try to get some understanding by studying and learning, what we normally call listening [Tib. thö-pa]. Then we analyze [Tib. sam-pa] and get a better understanding. And then we meditate [Tib. gom-pa] on it. That way one will develop and like aryas do, each one of us will do the same way. It is necessary to begin with learning, studying and thinking. If you don’t do that, you are not going to get it at all. For us, we will not be able to go up [in meditation] like the arya and come down and transform. The way we proceed is through the steps of learning, thinking and meditating.

Subtle dependent existence All phenomena are selfless and empty. There are two understandings. All Buddhists will say there is selfless and self’s-less or it’s-less. When you have I you get my, right? In Tibetan we have the word ‘self’ and the ‘mine’ of it. You don’t have that in English, so let us say self and self’s or it’s. All Buddhists, whatever school they may belong to, will say that self and self’s or it’s are all empty. The non-Buddhists accept that I does exist and is not depending on anything, that it is something permanent which is the basis of functioning of past, present and future, of samsara, of everything. Buddha says, “No, self does not exist, it is not permanent.” If it were permanent, then wherever a creator would put you, you would be there. If it were permanent and you’d fall into the lower realms you would be stuck there for ever and when you would go up you’d stay there for ever. These sort of things are not true. That is the difference between Buddhists and non-Buddhists. If within that framework you go deeper and look better, then – I am not talking about the permanent [self-sufficient] self – a naturally existing not-depending [inherently existing] self does not exist. That is a deeper and better way of looking. Self does not necessarily mean an individual self; atoms, tables, all phenomena are included. When from that angle you see that that self does not exist, not on beings nor on any phenomena, it is called self-lessness. That goes for all phenomena. Within every base you put a label on, you do not find an own nature of its own. However, the combination of the basis and the causes and conditions with on top of that a label put onto it with also a recognition of it, that is able to function and exist. That is why we say: all phenomena exist recognized by thoughts and labeled on the basis of a correct combination. Suppose we say, “Alright, when we go that extreme, then there is nothing, then previous and future life etc. is not there, so what do I care for?” Again, that is wrong. It is not that something is not there, it is very much there. It is there just for its combination, its continuation and labeling. On the combination of the five skandhas that you label and recognize as the person, the person is able to function. That is what exists! We call that: it does not exist from its own nature. We also call it: it does not truly exist, it is what cannot stand if you peel it157. We give all these different names or descriptions, formulated from the negative point of view. How does it positively exist? By just the combination, by just the labeling, by just the dependent arising, by just being able to perceive it, by just without skinning it being able to happily function. That is how we [and how everything] exists. We also call it: by its nature something or somebody does not exist.

156 The entire sutra is to be found in volume III 157 Meaning: you may ‘peel’ off all that it is not, but you will never find a core ‘this is it’.

166 Lam Rim Teachings Why we need understanding of emptiness Why do we talk about emptiness, about selflessness? Because we do have a very strong perception of a big I somewhere and we also have that very strong hold of it. In order to weaken or reduce that, in order to destroy that, Buddha presented emptiness, selflessness, and for that reason we talk about it. Furthermore, that very I develops mine and then you have my circle, my group, my friends. You make one group here and because of that the others are definitely the other group. So you make separations: this side and that side, the group of my friends here and the group of my enemies over there. Even to articles we do that: things we like we need, things we dislike we don’t want, all these divisions we make. Because of those divisions our body, mind and speech are always busy trying to fulfill our desire for this or that. That is why we are always suffering and creating more suffering. According to Buddha, once you are born in this universe, the universe is commonly owned by the people born there. However we make divisions, saying, “This is mine” and we draw some kind of line, “This is my country and that is yours, this is my place and that is yours, this is my property and that is yours.” We draw lines and that creates all the trouble. Also in our mind we do the same: I becomes more important and the others become less important. The I becomes like an object you have to save and satisfy and for that you use others. We can never equal- ize ourselves and others, we are always having that I as the important one and others to be used for my benefit, to satisfy the needs of I. Why we have that? Because of the strong hold of I. Even for this life we create a lot of difficulties because of that. When there are some losses, we say, “I can’t take a loss, I can’t afford to lose, others may be able to, I can’t.” That is how we create our sufferings and difficulties even in this life. A lot of mental suffering comes about because of different thoughts, but many of these can only exist because of these self-generated big-I thoughts. If you can concentrate and begin to understand that everything is selfless, if you can see the emptiness point of it, it also helps to develop love and compassion and equanimity and all this. Because you can see that what fails at this side also fails at the other side, you will be able to face this way and that way both. That way understanding selflessness helps tremendously to develop love-compassion, equanimity etc. That is very useful and one should do that way. If you begin to think in this manner and begin to look into that big self-generated I, then as we said before: even by raising interest – earlier we said doubt, but let us translate it as interest – the fabric of samsara is torn to pieces.158 That is how it works. It is a very important point, so I do hope everybody will think about it all the time.

Concluding the weekend Geshe Thabkye: I am happy to have come. Many of you have great interest and are really seeking something. While you people are building something great here, I feel I have been able to contribute something to it. I am very happy with that. Thank you so much. I hope you will continue to learn with Gehlek Rimpoche. Rimpoche: We are very grateful you have been able to come and shared your thoughts with us. This is the beginning of the opening of our way of looking into emptiness. I have been holding back the topic of emptiness for a long, long time. During our teachings I have always tried to use some excuse here and there. I really wanted at the beginning of it to do it well. Several times I tried to put it on the right speakers. Some- how the times and conditions were not correct and I am really happy that this time it came out well. As you all have seen yourself, Geshe Thabkye is an outstanding geshe. Not so much by name, but by his understanding and quality. The label is not that important, but the quality of the person is important and we have seen that and we are really grateful that you, Geshela, could come to make the correct opening. I hope you will be able to come back and spend more time talking on emptiness.

***

158 See page 148.

The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 167 [The four key points to gain a clear understanding of the emptiness of the person159 ▪ Identifying the object of negation. ▪ Determining the range of logical possibilities. ▪ Determining that the self cannot be identical with the skandhas. ▪ Determining that the self cannot be distinct from the skandhas.]160

2) How to ripen the minds of others by the four means161 [The six paramitas are means to cultivate one’s own mind. The four paramitas are means to cultivate the minds of others, ranging from arousing interest to gaining faith, follow the teachings and practice. These four means are mentioned in Maitreya’s Ornament of Mahayana Sutras thus, Acting generously, so that they will take teachings; Speaking sweetly, so that they will follow you; Working for their benefit; And practicing what you preach.]

Conclusion of the Lamrim To conclude, we dedicate all of our virtues. We dedicate them to the benefit of all living beings. We dedicate them towards the longevity of the teaching, for Buddha's teaching to remain. Although we are reaching almost end of the eon, that doesn’t mean it is going to be ending in thirty, forty fifty years. So we dedicate our merit to the longevity of the teaching and the teachers that are outstanding and we conclude with the Dedication Prayer from Tsongkhapa’s Lamrim Chenmo: From my two collections, vast as space, that I have amassed from working with effort at this practice for a great length of time, may I become the chief leading buddha for all those whose mind’s wisdom eye is blinded by ignorance. Even if I do not reach this state, may I be held in your loving compassion for all my lives, Manjushri. May I find the best of complete graded paths of the teachings and may I please all the buddhas by practicing it well. Using skillful means drawn by the strong force of compassion, may I clear the darkness from the minds of all beings with the points of the path as I have discerned them. May I uphold Buddha’s teachings for a very long time. With my heart going out with great compassion in whatever direction the most precious teachings have not yet spread, or once spread and have declined, may I expose this treasure of happiness and aid.

159 This subject was not taught, but is often referred to. Literature: Tsongkhapa’s Lamrim Chungba in: R. Thurman, Life and Teach- ings of Tsong Khapa, p. 131-135; Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in Our Hands, Vol. III, p. 266-290; Pabongka, Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, p. 683-97; Dagyab Rinpoche, Achtsamkeit und Versenkung, p. 315-319; Geshe Rabten, Treasury of Dharma, p. 211-228; Gen Lamrimpa, Realizing Emptiness, p. 61-86; Geshe Thubten Loden, Path to Enlightenment, p. 850-860; Geshe Kel- sang Gyatso, Joyful Path of Good Fortune, p. 526-536; Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, Tibetan Tradition of Mental Development, p. 164-174. 160 More teachings by Gehlek Rimpoche on wisdom are in the process of being transcribed and edited, including the wisdom teachings of the Odyssey to Freedom in New York and those on the Ninth Chapter of the Bodhisattvacaryavatara taught in Ann Arbor (both in 2005). 161 This subject was not taught. Literature: Tsongkhapa, The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Lamrim chenmo, Vol. II, p. 225-231. Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in Our Hands, Vol. III, p. 304-305; Pabongka Rinpoche, Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, p. 708-709. Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, Tibetan Tradition of Mental Development, p. 180-182. Geshe Thubten Loden, Path to Enlightenment, p. 779-787.

168 Lam Rim Teachings May the minds of those who wish for liberation be granted bountiful peace; and the Buddha’s deeds be nourished for a long time, by even this graded course of enlightenment, completed due to the wondrous virtuous conduct of the buddhas and their children. May all human and nonhuman beings who eliminate adversity and make things conducive for practicing the excellent paths never be parted in any of their lives from the purest path praised by the buddhas. Whenever someone makes effort to act in accordance with the tenfold mahayana virtuous practices may they always be assisted by the mighty ones and may oceans of prosperity spread everywhere.

APPENDIX

Questions and Answers - Chapter XVIII: The Bodhimind: the Benefits of its Development 171 - Chapter XIX: The Bodhimind: the Seven Stages of Development 171 - Chapter XX: The Bodhimind: the Exchange Method of Development 174 - Chapter XXI: The Bodhimind: the Eleven Stages of Development 175 - Chapter XXII: The Bodhimind: the Lojong Training of Development 177 - Chapter XXIII: The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence 178 - Chapter XII: The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom 182

Outlines - Basic Lamrim Outlines 185 - Detailed Lamrim Outline 186

Charts - Chart 2: Basis, Path and Result 198 - Chart 3: Six Desire Realms 194 - Chart 4: Form- and Formless Realms 195 - Chart 6: Bodhisattva Paths and Stages 196 - Chart 7: Bodhisattva Paths, Stages and Practices 197

Root Texts: - Thought Transformation in Eight Stanzas – Langri Tangpa 199 - Seven point Mind training – Geshe Chekawa 200 - Guide to the Middle Way ch. 1-5, Chandrakirti 202

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Chapter XVIII: Benefits of the bodhimind Audience: You said that ultimately nirvana is formless, like a candle going out. Rimpoche: According to Theravadins. Mahayana says: the Theravadin’s nirvana is not an ultimate development. You remain there for a while, you flow into a big open space, what we call dharma-dhatu, and you sort of dissolve in that joy-dhatu and remain there. Mind you, there is a difference between the peak of samsara [the fourth of the four formless absorp- tions], and the joy-dhatu [nirvana] – a big difference. The peak of samsara functions the same, acts the same and looks the same, but the beings in there are not free of delusions; those in the joy-dhatu, however, are free of delusions. That is the difference. But the functioning is almost the same, half vegetable-like, you know. There is lucidity, clarity, but it is like a vegetable too, because they are not functioning, just floating in open space. Individuality is not lost; it is there, but [like] in a big ocean. It needs buddhas and bodhisattvas to pick out the different identities, to pick the different ‘drops’ out of the ocean, give them a Mahayana practice and ultimately they will become a buddha. Again, the way you are as a buddha and the way you are in nirvana are two different things. The way of being in nirvana is sort of floating, being dissolved in it. The way of being a buddha is sort of sparking out completely, as Thurman describes it: a big individual beam which becomes multi-million different lights. Really, the way of being in nirvana and the way of being a buddha are two different things! The moment you become a buddha, you have in combination the extra-ordinary quality of the bodhimind functioning. Therefore, a buddha is capable of being everywhere at every time; multi-million, billions, countless points are everywhere at the same time functioning, seeing, knowing, everything. You have millions of different bodies. Some bodies are in sambhogakaya form, some bodies are in nirmanakaya form, some bodies are even dharmakaya form. The extraordinary quality of a buddha is that mind and body function together: wherever a buddha’s mind is, his body is; wherever his body is, his mind is. The moment you become a buddha, you become all-knowing. And at whatever you know your mind is and so your body is there too. That is how a buddha functions in multi-billion ways.

Chapter XIX: The bodhimind: the Seven Stages of Development Audience: I have some trouble seeing what I can do to liberate somebody else. My thought is: karma is pretty much individual; I can affect my causes and conditions but I can’t affect other people’s causes and conditions. Rimpoche: Aura, would you respond to this question? Aura: The first thing is that you are not thinking of actually liberating the other person, but being an agent of liberation in other beings’ lives. In other words, you can’t liberate people against their will. On one level it is true that every individual experiences the right thing of their own karma and they always quote that Buddha can’t wash your dirty laundry, but on the other hand karma is ultimately flexible. In other words: everybody has original causes for virtues and non-virtues to experience the result of, but unless the proper instigators or aggravating causes arise you are not going to experience these results. You are going to experience results for which you are creating conditions. And so when you take on this ideal of ‘I want to be able to ultimately help others to the best extent of my ability,’ buddhahood would represent that greatest potential. You are putting yourself in a place of ultimately being in the greatest position to be able to assist others in moving into a direction of virtue, moving into a direction of self-liberation, providing them with guidance, inspiration, information, assistance and whatever blessings are also possible at that time – if 172 Lam Rim Teachings there is the receptivity in that individual for some other aspect to ripen. You know, it is not that everything is hard and fast and that fate is already written in stone, but a lot of different possibilities can arise. Rimpoche calls them loopholes. There are always loopholes and things that can be done, but we are not in a position to really help at this point. Audience: The point of focus of the special thought is that ‘I myself will do this, I myself alone will be the only person that will do it, I will take that responsibility upon myself for all others’. And that seems impossible. Rimpoche: Yes, it might be impossible. I didn’t say it was possible, I didn’t even say it is materialized, but the way it functions shows the power and the openness, it shows how the bodhisattvas have opened their big heart. Really, they have a huge open heart, which will say ‘yes’ to everything, has difficulty to say ‘no’ and is willing to go and accept every responsibility, drive themselves crazy. I think there will be a time when all sentient beings will be liberated. You can’t say which time, but each one of them is to be liberated and will be liberated. Audience: If you want to take something like this on, then it is important to keep in balance. The potential is there, but then other teachings will say that samsara will never be empty. You have to recognize that. You will take it on and the goal is to liberate all sentient beings and it seems unlikely. It seems we try to do something that is impossible. Rimpoche: That is an important point. Is this our goal? It this something to be achieved or are we just catching something which is not going to materialize at all? Our goal is to become a buddha, individually, and once we have attained buddhahood, what will happen is a different question. Whether every sentient being is going to be liberated, whether samsara will be ended or be existing – all these are philosophical questions, really. The practical question here is: is it possible to obtain buddhahood? Yes, definitely. Is it possible that all the wishes of the buddhas and bodhisattvas get fulfilled? Maybe. Could be. Who really knows what and when? All buddhas and bodhisattvas are trying to do their best. They try to liberate as many as possible, but still there are countless and countless beings, so how much can you really do? Our goal is to obtain buddhahood, yes, and while going through it, we get trapped in that ‘liberating all sentient beings’ business, because that has become part of it. Helping others at the time of death Rimpoche: We have been discussing what we can do when we die, but we didn’t talk about what we can do when we see other people dying. What can you do when somebody is dying? Aura: I think first try to be calm and positive. It must be very difficult for the dying person to be surrounded by people who are crying, “Please don’t die; we’re going to miss you” etc. Be as supportive as possible and then try to switch the person to move in some sort of positive, virtuous mental direction. If it is a Buddhist practitioner then try to help them make an image of Buddha or say mantras, make them think of positive things like their teacher or emptiness or bodhimind or refuge or anything which will move the mind in that direction. Or if it is somebody of another religious conviction, if somebody is Christian then for them to turn the mind positive and virtuous in that direction. I, from my own side, always say mantras even if the person doesn’t hear, I try to say mantras and to direct them in that way. And then if they are not either a religious person or virtually inclined, then just try to help them think of positive things and try to help them not to focus too much on things they are attached to or angry about. Try to help them move away from those things so that at the time they die they don’t think so much of, “Oh, I don’t want to die and I’ll miss so and so so much, I’m afraid of loosing this, I’m so angry about that.” Try to move the mind away from those things and be supportive on something what is positive for themselves: a positive thought, beautiful places, running rivers, that kind of things. Rimpoche: And then after death, there is still a lot you can do. Some people will have the bardo immediately after death and immediately go to rebirth. Some people hang around in a long bardo. No matter how long it might be, it cannot be more then forty-nine days and every seventh day the bardowa dies a small death. If somebody dies on Tuesday, you observe the next Monday as this seventh day, so the day before that. A lot of people are confused about that. Any virtuous work you can do will help. You can say the Ganden Lha Gyema, or the Lama Chöpa puja, and if you are at the Lamrim level, say the [long] Lamrim dedication. You can also make a gift to the field of merit, which includes donating some money to

Appendices: Questions and Answers 173 a monastery and requesting the monks and nuns to pray. Any act of generosity or morality will work. E.g. you can take a twenty-four-hour vow for that person, do a fasting practice, nyung ne. Dedicate the virtues of your act and pray. On equanimity Did you people do any meditation on equanimity? Any problems? Let us hear it. [Discussion.] I am happy that you have problems. Don’t go extreme. That is important. A lot of people tend to go extreme and say: ‘Well, it is only my delusion which makes me feel this way, but in reality they are not doing anything to me.’ I have a problem with that. Look into true reality whether it is their behavior or not, whether they try to hit or hurt us or not, whether they are really doing whatever they are doing. We have to acknowledge it and yet we have to build tolerance. Not on the wrong patterns: ‘They are not really against me’ or: ‘Poor things, they are influenced by their ignorance’ or: ‘Well, it is my imaginative mind, I am seeing it that way but in reality they are not doing this’. This becomes a little bit of – I hate to say it – self- hypnotizing or self-comforting. That is pushing ourselves a little bit down. We tell ourselves, “You stupid fool, what are you thinking.” And, “This fellow has a lot of great problems, he is doing this because of such and such, he is not really doing it, I was seeing it that way because I was stupid.” People do that and I am not happy with that. Why? Number one: it is not true and it is bound to burst out one day. That discomforts me. Besides that: all of our spiritual progress must be based on the truth, we cannot base it on false pretexts. It is not really a false pretext, but it is not a solid truth either. There are people who try to harm you, there are people who get angry with you, there are people who hold their finger in the air against you and say all sorts of things. We have to accept that and yet we have to develop that it will not bother us. That is what we should do. [I must also say this.] A lot of people will get irritated because their own faults have been projected on somebody else. Somehow you know it is your fault, but you don’t want to acknowledge the fact that you have that problem, so when you see somebody else having the same problem, you really get irritated. You know why? You are seeing your own reflection in the mirror. And why does that bother you? Your own reflection is touching your ego. It is poking a little bit, and that is why it really irritates you. Not only does it irritate you, you put on a lot of tension too. We always do. I do, you do, every one of us does that. I am sure your ego doesn’t want to see your problem. When you see that problem mirrored in someone else, you dislike it. So you want to protect yourself immediately: you show your temper, cut the conversation, change the subject, put a shield up, pretend not to hear it, look for an excuse… Actually, the button of your ego has been pushed. Sometimes people have no idea about the spiritual path, no idea of the ego, don’t even know their own things and sometimes don’t even bother. Sometimes fathers produce sons with the same type of behavior, teachers produce students with the same type of behavior and it doesn’t bother them. Why? Because we never paid attention to it. As soon as you pay a little attention, the moment you try to see your own personal projected faults, you know somehow it is something that is not nice, but you don’t want to admit it, you don’t want to do anything, so you get angry and upset. That is to cover up your ego, to protect your ego. It is an excuse. And then if you don’t get problems [with this meditation], you’re not going to develop equanimity at all, because your buttons do not get pushed. Then simply everything is smooth, you know. It may help us not to bother, but will not help us to develop equanimity. By saying, ‘I have no problems’ you have produced a problem, because [without problems] it is not going to work with you. Problems are expected to arise. When you think of an enemy and you try to tell yourself, “Hey, this one is equal to my friend” you’re definitely bound to get angry. Getting angry is good at this point, because you encounter the problems to be expected. It is better than not having a problem. Not having a problem itself produces a problem, which is: either you are not doing it, or you are not doing it enough or you ceased doing it, or you have overlooked it too much. In such a case you have to look: Why don’t I have a problem? Why does it look so easy? You have to look, because it is not easy. We present problems here, you know, and we have to get these problems. And then when you solve them, you really get it. If you don’t have problems. you’re not getting anywhere.

174 Lam Rim Teachings Actually, in this practice you are observing, deeply looking for the anger, without letting the anger take over. That is what it is. You are looking for attachment without the attachment taking over. And then you may be able to work with that. That is it. Indirectly we are battling samsara, not directly. Equanimity is something you have to work out, convince yourself of. You work it out till: “There is no real reason why I have to get angry at that person.” And it may make you very upset. It may bring you all sorts of funny things, especially for those positive ones, who try to cover up everything with positivity. When you try to look through the negative point it is hard and difficult. Dharma works deeply with the problems. Do you see it? It doesn’t leave the problems, it works them out to the roots. It is like good old Tibetan buildings, which are built on good solid roots, not just covered up. The American style is to just put up a dye-wall; painted it looks great, but with one blow of the hammer it goes ‘boom’. That is what the positivity does: as long as you don’t encounter any problems you are okay; the moment you encounter problems you lose the balance. Dharma doesn’t work that way; it goes to the root. The idea or aim here is not to develop equanimity. It is not. You don’t work here to develop equanimity – I mean you do, but not here. What you try to do is: get the anger out. When your anger goes out, equanimity will automatically develop. It will replace it. So you don’t work for equanimity, you work for getting the excessive anger out, getting the excessive attachment out. That is a big job and it is not easy. It is simple to talk, but it is a big thing in one’s life, really. In the meditation on equanimity we are working with our own projected anger, rather than dealing with somebody who is making you angry. You deal with manufactured, artificial anger. That is easy because you manufactured it. It is connected with what you experienced before and it is connected with your tendency of developing anger, but it is not as hard, not as powerful as really getting angry. It is like the doctors give a vaccination against chicken-pox, let it develop and that you can treat easily. Similarly here, you put a little bit of poison of anger and deal with it. Then it becomes easier to deal with the real anger. That is how it works.

Chapter XX: The Bodhimind: the Exchange Method of Development Audience: (Discussion on distinguishing self-cherishing and self-compassion.) Rimpoche: Balancing is one of the biggest problems. Sometimes we are too positive and lose the balance and sometimes we are too negative and lose the balance. There is no fixed balancing point. The point of balance shifts when the person develops. Sometimes we say, “I really like to do that; it is good for me, I know that, but then don’t you think I’ll be taking advantage of other people?” That is losing the balance. My conclusion is: you can go as much as you can bear the pain. Where you cannot bear the pain, we have to stop. It means we did not develop that capacity yet. So we cannot. We can have compassion and we can develop cherishing others’ benefit over self-benefit, but when you cannot bear the pain you have to stop, that is your limit. If you push beyond that, then you’re going to get into trouble. So the point of balance is: take as much as you can take, but not at the expense of self. That is where your limit is. And your balancing point might not be my balancing point. This is important. The buddhas’ balancing point is not our balancing point. When we change, when we move on the stages, our balancing point will change. Technically speaking buddhas may not have to balance, because of being totally positive. There is nothing negative, and therefore nothing to be balanced, but I think within the framework of that there is balancing in itself. Yeah, buddhas have unlimited capacity, limitless, effortless blah blah blah. However, their purpose is to liberate all sentient beings, which they couldn’t complete, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. They have their own limit of balance, within the framework of their limitless, effortless activities. The point of balance will change. That is my thought. When we cherish the others, we try to push the balance point a little to the other side, like an old-fashioned doctor’s scale, and gradually it moves up. Audience: (About fundamental separation between self and other, e.g. in a panic situation stepping on other people while rationally thinking you don’t want to.) Rimpoche: Your rational thinking and understanding has not become your habitual pattern and therefore you do the same old thing. And when it becomes a habitual pattern, then you do it.

Appendices: Questions and Answers 175 Audience: Can you do the practice [of tong-len] thinking of specific people that you know, or do you do it in general? Rimpoche: Well, here I am discussing it in general. The practical thing you can’t do [in general, for all beings], you’ll be scared to death, unless you make produce dots around you, which is not real beings, not face to face. That is no reality. Face to face you can’t do it [with all sentient beings], you’ll be scared to death. So it starts from the person that you care for most, that you really care for and love and that you totally don’t want to suffer. Then move on to your nearest (parents, relatives, friends), then to a stranger, then an enemy. Then some more. Then more and more and finally you develop it towards all sentient beings. In the end you’ll even be able to go to the hell-realms, you’ll be able to do all this. For practical purposes it is recommended to start from the one close to you. And again, the mind will get used to it, right? When the mind is getting used to it, it is not a big deal. Take it. Have a big heart. When the heart becomes bigger and bigger you may take everything. Then people will use excuses, “Oh, don’t bring it over here, dissolve it into emptiness.” That is an easy towel to use for wiping your hands. For this practice don’t use an emptiness towel. Audience: (About whether you can be sure of reincarnation.) Rimpoche: This is an important point, but by discussing it you reach nowhere. The reason why you reach nowhere is this. There are things we can see and know, it scientifically works, we can acknowledge it, it is within our capacity. There are other points with which we cannot do that. Buddha divides [what can be known] into three categories: 1) things we can know directly. 2) things we can know indirectly, 3) things we can only know completely indirectly. Things that we can know directly are the things we can just see, e.g. how one meditation-step pushes to the other step; we can see and prove something is white etc. That is direct knowing. That also has three: 1a) direct knowing by the eye-reasoning, 1b) direct knowing by the ear-reasoning, 1c) direct knowing by thinking-reasoning. The second category is things that you can only know by logical thinking. The third category is: even logically you can’t prove it; it is something you can only rely on. You can rely on the words of the people who have seen it, Buddha’s words and things like that. That is known as the really deeper points. The example is not the emptiness, but karma, the subtle functioning of karma. By looking into these three categories the future life definitely doesn’t fall into the first category. So when someone says “I am absolutely convinced,” then for sure he is absolutely convinced, but I don’t think there is logical proof. E.g. we say “death is definite.” We cán think “death is definite” and agree on that, saying, “Buddha died, everybody died, nobody lived and so I am not going to live.” We can see that and get convinced. I don’t think in that manner we can see and get convinced [of future lives]. Here the convincing will be of a slightly different level. Certain points we take almost on the belief system, not with blind belief, but with a little reasoning here and there to convince. It is a medium way; the Lamrim does take you in that manner. Lamrim doesn’t go into the details of these sort of things. That is why we have five different categories of study162. [The subject of] future lives was discussed in detail, very philosophically and logically, by Dharmakirti. That is completely different.

Chapter XXI: Bodhimind: The Eleven Stages of Development Audience: (About the impossibility of liberating all sentient beings, the special intention causing confusion and emotional problems because of the guarantee that you are going to fail.) Dagyab Rinpoche: This question is of course very understandable, because in our own view there are so many sentient beings which are still to be liberated. And even what we see now is just one planet, but we can even talk about many universes. We haven’t got the knowledge of all the other buddhas and bodhisattvas that exist, what they do in all the universes. This is one point. And the next point is: you do not necessarily need to look at it as concrete as we as human beings normally take things and restrict it to that. By practicing further and further, however, in your own mind you can make the possibilities, which is also a great task. From our momentary angle we cannot imagine or comprehend how we would act and what

162 The five great buddhist meanings: pramana or logic, prajnaparamita or general doctrine, madhyamika or the philosophy of the middle way, abhidharma or phenomenology and vinaya or monastic discipline.

176 Lam Rim Teachings we could possibly do if we would be a bodhisattva. So whatever we think now, we confine to our limited mind, to the way we can think at the moment, and that is a little bit too narrow. Audience: (On fighting for equal rights driven by powerful emotions as anger; on the difference between lukewarm and taking the middle way, on everyone being entitled to enlightenment.) Dagyab Rinpoche: What you said is an important point to remember, but on the other hand this is a training of our individual mind which will be perceiving the thing that we outlook normally. Normally we go out completely open everywhere, we are vulnerable to anything, so every good and bad will attack us. So, any single little thing could very easily spark in us the hate, and any little nice thing, any little nice printed color, can easily stick us there. Do you know what I mean? We are very vulnerable. So the mental training we try to do is, trying to say, “Hey, watch out, don’t be so much black and white, watch out, there are some greys I believe.” Sort of look in that way and develop that the wrong colors are not that extremely wrong and the right colors are not that extremely right. That way you can soften and smoothen your mind a little bit, which will also help us to build up our habitual pattern, actual a very strong attack on that too strong hate etc. We are very judgmental, you know, we just go out and see the people and even without saying hallo, just by looking at them, we pass a judgment on the person. Isn’t that our habit? Like: “Hey, I saw him passing downtown, I don’t really think I like him.” Aren’t we very judgmental? So what does equanimity do? This gets us slightly out of being so very judgmental. That is a practical point in every-day life. We move a little bit away from being very judgmental or it moves us away a little bit from putting a label on the other person: “Oh, I don’t like him”, from putting like and dislike. Audience: Why is it necessary to recognize all beings as mother beings or ultimate friends? Dagyab Rinpoche: Point one. We try to establish some kind of connection between all beings on one side and me on the other side, so that no matter who it may be, there has been some kind of connection. Point two. Not only do we have a connection, but we have a sort of intimate connection with all beings. And not only have we had an intimate connection, but the connection of the ‘most dear one’, sort of ‘ultimate friend’. Mother to me is symbolic here, symbolic in the sense of: when we are vulnerable who do we retreat to? We retreat to ‘mum, mum, mum’. It is a sort of automatic, biological, psychological connection where you retreat to when you are vulnerable. You may not have it so much in the west, but in Tibet when somebody hits you or you have a difficulty, you call, ‘Mum!’ The mother is symbolic. It sort of gives you the idea of some ultimate friend where you can retreat to. The whole idea is: one time or another they have been giving you a sort of retreat-area, shelter, protection, something to turn to. That is the ultimate relationship we have with all beings. We cannot deny it, everybody has that relationship. You had that relation with your dad, you had that relation with your big brother, you had it with your mother, your sister, your boyfriend, girlfriend, so and forth, including with your enemies. And that relation you had at some time or another with those creatures outside, the creatures crawling around, on the street, including the ants and the little cockroaches in the kitchen. You cannot really say, “I didn’t establish a relation with this person.” You cannot. The amount of lives that we had is a complete mystery to us, so we cannot limit it. We cannot say, “Here we begin” and we cannot say, “There is the end.” It is endless lives we are moving through. Reincarnation is something you cannot deny. Even the great scientists today cannot deny reincarnation, although they don’t have an explanation. So we cannot deny it. At least the benefit of the doubt should be given here. When we have different lifetimes, the ‘mum’ of this life is not the ‘mum’ of every life. That we all know, we can see it with open eyes, there is no question about that. It has to be switching. So who is the substitute? There is no established list available. One of our great teachers has given an example of what our life is like. During the autumn the leaves fall down from the tree and some fantastic wind comes, carries them everywhere, you never know where they are going to land. The leaves fallen from the eastern side of the tree can land in the west etc.; there is no certainty. Our life is like that, there is no certainty. We have been switching a lot of lives and every time you were born from a mother’s womb. That is why the mother is symbolic for the ultimate friend, for the ultimate relation.

Appendices: Questions and Answers 177 Chapter XXII: Bodhimind: The Lojong Training of Development Tonglen and fear Audience: When pushing myself into this practice, the first thing I experience is the arising of the fear of: “I am going to be hurt”, the arising of: “I don’t want to be in pain” and: “This feels terrible” and the feeling of: “I am being annihilated”… Rimpoche: You can definitely look into it without thinking of the fear of suffering, without thinking of the fear of pain and without looking into the self-existence. You can simply collect your own future pains and collect them onto your own being. Just like that. Project your future, project your death, project the pains that you will go through, lift it like a piece of paper from there and place it onto yourself. You can do that. I think that is very much possible. Then try to imagine it, to feel the pains that are going in here, without thinking of fear of pain, without thinking of self-existence. That is also possible. Audience: Then it is not real. Rimpoche: Doesn’t matter. I did not say it is real, I did not say it is not real. It is the beginning for people to move. I don’t think people will completely take that pain over here and really be feeling the pinch. That is not going to happen in the beginning, I doubt it very much. That is one thing. But, if you get the fear of “Oh my God, I am going to really suffer,” if you get the fear, then that is definitely is a good sign, there is no doubt about that. However, I don’t think you get that from the beginning. After some time you’re going to get it. Audience: I disagree that you can do this practice superficially. I found it sort of overwhelming with fright. Rimpoche: That is good. Getting frightened is a very good sign of it beginning to materialize. You ask twenty different people and each one of them may practice this, yet many of them will simply be lifting that little label of pain from there and move it onto your forehead. And many of them will acknowledge something coming from there and coming over here, but not even know what it is, yet you may like to call it pain. I am not joking. This is a serious practice. Each one of those serious practices will have totally different experiences with different people. It has to be, otherwise it would be a uniform experience, which means there is something wrong. Fear, warmth and anxiety are good signs, definitely good signs. It means that whatever you are doing is not superficial; it is becoming a little more real. What happens if you still keep on doing it after the fear? Two things can happen. One: it begins to materialize and it begins to be a serious practice. Or otherwise: the fear will be overlooked and you get used to it the wrong way: “Oh I feel frightened by it, but it is not really going to happen.” By that the good- quality practice becomes an inferior-quality practice. A third option is: the fear is going to be there, yet will be overcome. You are overcoming the fear, even welcoming it, and you look into it. You call it ‘going through the fear’. This is a point of practice. Signs of development Audience: (About hiding signs of development, like control over your anger.) Rimpoche: If you are an angry person, your anger is not going to go away overnight. Your anger will be reduced bit by bit and the people around you will keep on noticing it. I don’t think the question of hiding will rise here. And there are points. Sometimes you pretend to get angry too, you have to, otherwise they bully you, unfortunately this society does. But still, if you overemphasize, saying, “My anger is gone” it will probably become a lie and that will be a black lie: pretending to have obtained the stage of free-of-anger, which you have not. That will be more damaging. You have to balance there too. One of the major reasons for hiding these signs is to prevent it becoming a black lie. A second reason is not to cheat other beings. You see, a quality within the individual [grows] gradually. When there is quality, it will shine in the air. Audience: By practicing you become more aware of the self-cherishing, so it is magnifying. Rimpoche: Well, you are not encouraging your self-cherishing. It was there and you begin to notice it. Be- fore you didn’t notice it at all, but when you become aware of it you begin to notice it. When you practice more, you notice it more, but while you act you could catch it and then stop acting, refuse to act, refuse to listen to whatever that big director inside is telling you. Actually if you can revolt, it is the best. If you cannot revolt, just don’t act, just don’t do it. It might be hard to do, it will tear you to pieces, but you don’t die, you don’t go mad. You have to fight, otherwise you’ll never get through. Fight is unavoidable, I tell you. If

178 Lam Rim Teachings you do dharma practice, a lot of internal struggle will come. If you can’t make it through, you will not go beyond. That is the point. A lot of people will say that you need unshakable faith. It is very dangerous; you never know where you are going, what you are doing. I am the last person to even encourage that. I definitely encourage people to know what they are doing. The first thing is to learn, the second to think and the third to meditate. Don’t waste time on something of which you don’t know if it is really worth it. The faith business is a very, very dangerous business. If you have somebody whom you can really trust for a hundred percent, and if your intelligence level is not good enough, then you have to. Then the question of surrender and all this will come, and you’ll leave it to somebody else to guide you totally. But then: don’t question, don’t think, just follow it and you’ll reach somewhere. There is room for that, sure. But that is only for very few people. For the majority of the intelligent persons like yourselves that is not the thing to do – not at all. So, a struggle within you is bound to be there. When you have the struggle you have to get through it. If you lose it, you are lost, sometimes lost forever, sometimes you are lost for a while, but you get through. Therefore the fighting. This is the whole idea of Trungpa Rinpoche’s Shambhala business, the army and all this fighting business. Actually it is a spiritual war we have to fight within ourselves. And the stake is nobody else but yourself.

Audience: When I talk about absolute and relative bodhicitta one person can have developed each by itself? Rinpoche: Yes. Nagarjuna talks about the ‘intelligent ones’, people who can develop the understanding of emptiness before getting developed the bodhimind, and the people who develop the bodhimind first and then develop the understanding of emptiness later. If someone developed emptiness at the Theravada path and after becoming an arhat joined the Mahayana, the person has the emptiness background already but doesn't have the bodhimind, therefore, out of five paths starts at the third path, the path of seeing, straightaway. A person who has no emptiness before, but with the seven stages or the exchange method develops the bodhimind, joins the path of accumulation, then develops the path of action; until the person realizes emptiness, he has relative bodhimind only. That is real bodhimind. When on top of that he realizes emptiness, the mind of that person is bodhimind plus emptiness, therefore it becomes absolute bodhimind. So, whether the emptiness is earlier or the bodhimind is earlier, when they join it becomes absolute bodhimind.

Chapter XXIII: The First Four Paramitas: Generosity, Morality, Patience, Diligence Morality – sila Audience: What about when killing is unavoidable [and you have a vow of not killing]? I think of all the insects that died on our windshield driving here. Rimpoche: Whether you intended to kill or not, the sila is broken. Here it differs from karma. In karma we say there is a karma of killing there, but it might not be complete, remember? There is no way you can avoid it. If you take a walk, drive or dig the ground to grow flowers, a number of insects will die. There is no way you can avoid it. Not only that. These are the things we actually see. Unseen, broken vows are probably coming over us like rainfall, like a heavy storm. We constantly have it and we can’t help it. But saying you can’t help it so you might as well do it – no! That is the wrong way. We cannot help it, so we purify. That is what purification is all about. When we take a vow, we definitely took the vow: ‘From now on I will protect the vow’, but when you can’t protect it, you can’t. So that is how we go: we fall, we get up, we walk, we fall, we get up, we walk, we fall, we get up, we walk. That is how we develop ourselves within the spiritual path. We don’t learn from the beginning to walk without falling. Just like a baby. That is why we say we are babies around here, some crawl, some walk. And when they begin to get up and walk, they fall more. That is what we see, don’t we? Until you really learn to walk, you fall and hit yourself harder than the crawling baby, and so you might like to withdraw for a little while, see what is happening and then come back once again and walk a little bit, maybe fall again, withdraw. That is what people do. I think that is how we go. I don’t think you can be perfect and that is why every evening before you go to bed you purify a little bit. Audience: (On how to judge whether you should help someone or not.)

Appendices: Questions and Answers 179 Rimpoche: Sometimes it is very difficult to judge, but there are ways and means of doing it. Suppose somebody says, “Please help me, I am absolutely in difficulties, would you go and kill that one, otherwise I am not going to be in peace”, it is not difficult to judge. “I must have such and such a thing, would you please go and steal it?” is not difficult to judge. The difficulty will rise in cases like, “Will you please help me, otherwise I’ll be in big trouble, will be sick,” like an addicted person, saying, “You have to help me, I have to get it, otherwise I am really going to die.” Probably it is true and although the chemical stuff is bad for that person, you may have to help somehow. But you have to help without getting yourself into trouble. If you get yourself into trouble, you may get additional problems. So where do you draw the line? You go to the extent of what you can do, without getting yourself into spiritual, moral, legal or financial problems. That is where you draw the line. As long as it is manage- able you can go, and where it becomes unmanageable, you withdraw. But if you think you can manage and you are going to get caught, don’t do it. If you are sure, then do it. That is where the line is drawn. When the helper becomes a problem, it is worse. When an elephant is used to pull something like a tree- trunk out and the elephant itself gets stuck, it is much more difficult to pull the elephant out than that small trunk, because it is so much heavier. Those who under the disguise of helping people stick themselves in it, make it much more difficult; they are like a sunken elephant. So that is where you draw the line. Patience Audience: It seems to me that in the ‘I rinpoche’ thing you are talking about hurt feelings. I think the key here is: you can have those feelings, but you do not let them make your decisions, you do not let them run the show. Rimpoche: You will feel it, because we are so used to feeling it. It is not so easy to cut that out; it is swimming against the current. But what you really have to do: when that happens recognize it and put the finger on your nose, saying, “Hey, here you are, I know you, I know you very well.” If you don’t recognize the problem, it is a big problem. I think nobody wants to have that at all, but if you don’t recognize it, it will damage whatever it has to damage. The awareness part is lacking, we are not always alert. When awareness is not there, you lose your patience; the other, the ‘I rinpoche’ will take over and do its damage. By the time you begin to realize what damage it will do, it is already too late. Not only damage to others, also to yourself, which is even worse. You Americans have the habit of cursing yourself, abusing yourself. If you do it for purification, great. But you just do it because you are angry with yourself; you take the pain on yourself and then try to bear it. That is not good. It is an indication that the ‘I rinpoche’ is very strong. That is also lack of patience. Samsaric or non-samsaric practice Audience: The question has come up whether love/compassion is a samsaric practice163? They said a number of people were confused on that, so can you clarify that? Audience: I would say that it is the purpose for which you dedicate actions, the purpose for which you perform actions, that makes it to be a samsaric action or an action for enlightenment. So the question in mind would be: why are you being compassionate or loving towards someone? If it is to have less problems and confusion in your life, I would say that is clearly a samsaric action, but if you act compassionately from the view of wanting to achieve enlightenment or help them to achieve enlightenment, it is not samsaric. Rimpoche: A good shot, but it is not the answer. Anybody else? Aura: Anything that goes in the direction of delusion is samsaric, anything that goes away from the direction of delusion is not-samsaric. If love-compassion alone could uproot ignorance, then we wouldn’t need wisdom, it wouldn’t be two separates. The reason that we need both, is that love-compassion alone can also arise out of an ignorant mind, relative love-compassion. So when we act love-compassion, it is a virtuous activity that could be improving our situation, but it doesn’t uproot the seed; it improves your virtue but the seed is still there. Wisdom is the only state of mind that can really uproot the seed [of samsara, ignorance]. You have to specifically say: wisdom is the mind which cuts through ignorance and is the only thing which is not samsaric by nature.

163 See page 116.

180 Lam Rim Teachings Rimpoche: To clarify: love-compassion is not a samsaric dharma, but here it is named as samsaric dharma. Why? Because it is not directly dealing with, is not a direct antidote to the root of samsara. So you have to read in between the lines to understand it. Really. I am glad you raised the question. Audience: In judging one’s progress in this or other paramitas, we look at the strength of the opponent. If the opponent is going to stay on till buddhahood, are you saying: as you progress the opposites should grow weaker, or do you mean you should be able to stand more of it? Rimpoche: The first is: the opponent becomes weaker and the mind becomes stronger, like our normal emotions. Emotions come and sometimes it is like a huge mountain that takes you over, you have no control and you have to totally surrender. Movie of the monkey. I remember a Chinese movie, in which the monkey tried to challenge Buddha. Buddha turned his hand upside down and the monkey got buried under some kind of huge mountain for five hundred years. That is the example of how the emotions take over. You are buried under it and can’t move underneath that. The monkey tried to move and was able to manage, the mountain began to shake. Buddha was in a heaven somewhere and when a messenger came Buddha wrote OM MANI PADME HUM, and stuck it on the top of the mountain and so the monkey was stuck for another five hundred years. That is the story. Then Kwan-Yin, the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, was going to China and passed by the monkey and they talked to each other. And the monkey said that only one person could remove him, a Chinese teacher going to India to get Mahayana teachings. He did not know how to do it, the monkey had to tell him to get that mantra from the top. He didn’t know, but started praying a little bit and the mantra flew away. The monkey got out and became his helper. The monkey being buried is the example of how the emotions take us over. When emotions get weaker, the monkey can come out. So the monkey purified his misbehavior or non-virtues more and more and gradually he became thinner and thinner and the mountains became lighter and lighter. You should go and see the film. Audience: If someone is hurting you, wouldn’t it be better to defend yourself? Rimpoche: Physically, sure. Mentally you act like Atisha. Atisha always had a little Indian fellow with him who was always insulting him. The Tibetans were totally following Atisha and bowing, but this little fellow was always insulting Atisha, wherever he went. Finally, the Tibetan teachers had a meeting and unanimously appealed to Atisha, “Whatever we have to give this fellow, gold or whatever, we’ll give it to him in whatever amount needed. Please let him go back to India, because we don’t like him insulting you all the time.” Atisha said, “Oh, this is my best friend. If he is not there, where do I practice my patience?” That is what Atisha says, so that is it. That is the example. If you cannot handle the situation, then you better remove it. If it is not going to overpower you, you sit there and laugh at it. Audience: If you are a parent with a kid, you sometimes yell at the kid and you have these kind of hot feelings like wrathful energies because you are scared they are going to harm themselves. Would that count in this definition of anger? Rimpoche: Parents shouting at kids contains two things. Some parents really want to improve the kids and shout. For example, when I was a kid I had a geshe manager who would beat me like anything, you have no idea. And the kids were real kids, you know, not simple monastery-beings. He beat them up. While he did this, he did not want to harm those kids at all. He really wanted to improve them. But when anger takes over, it is not right. Really. Audience: (About being trapped in a relational situation that both sides feel emotionally trapped). You think: “I can’t break free and I can’t be in it in a detached way either”. So, not being able to break away from things that are destructive to yourself, feeling emotionally paralyzed, can you say something about that? Audience: You refuse to accept; denial is the first thing. Rimpoche: I saw a movie yesterday about a police-woman and a drug-addicted reporter, who totally de- nied being addicted. Denial is our first problem. Whether it is addiction or any other sort of problem, we deny it, “Not me, because I am special, I know how to handle this skillfully.” I think everybody will think that way, very few people will accept, “I am not skilful enough.” Especially intelligent people think more.

Appendices: Questions and Answers 181 Aura: It seems what Rimpoche mentioned about denial, is definitely an important piece of it. And also I think there is some kind of a balance between trusting our emotions and questioning our emotions. Very often we say, “I just feel this way, I can’t stand it, I’m upset” and we trust that, we believe, “This is how I feel, I have to trust my feelings, so I have to go with that.” On the other hand there is the other extreme of suppressing the feelings and not acknowledging what the feelings are. It seems very difficult to take that jump, to be able to do something that is going to be difficult to do. There has to be some internal decision that you are willing to take on some difficulties and you are willing to first work on the clarity about where it is, what it is that is really the issue, really is the problem for yourself and what you see. So really looking at the results of what you seem to be creating through your various behaviors or through the directions that you are taking. I guess that one of the reasons that it is difficult to do, is because we are at the place where we are not ready to make that internal decision. You know, we like the idea, we like to be on the other side, but we want to wait until we feel like it is no problem and then we’ll just be happily there, like, “I can just let go of this.” You know, waiting until it is sort of done, that it is already done in a way. I think it is more than the whole issue of parents. We talk about the whole of: how do you do something where emotionally you can’t face doing it? I think the only way to do it is to strengthen yourself, so you can face doing it. Or strengthening yourself to the point where it doesn’t matter whether you do it or not. I think that we get stuck on that process a lot, not being able to do something. We are getting so caught up in what we perceive that are feelings. You know, we let our feelings govern all the decisions that we make and we trust them to be our ultimate guide. We say, “I just feel this, so I’ve got to do this, I am just so unhappy.” We don’t question what is the source of that unhappiness: “is this really making me happy or is this just covering over a pain that is there, putting a bandage on a sore so that I don’t have to look at it any more and feel more comfortable, but it is not really healing the issue. I don’t think there is just an easy solution. If it was true, then spiritual development would be no problem, everybody would have it, everybody would be fully developed, everybody would go to let go of everything they would need to let go of, everybody would be happy, because it would be so easy. But I think that those overlays of: “But how can I do this, I don’t want to let go of that,” is exactly the place where the work is. Denial is the first piece, like Rimpoche says. You can’t even get into it until you acknowledge it as a problem. Rimpoche: And then when you acknowledge it, you don’t want to handle it, you don’t want to deal with it, you hang around. And then to a certain extent you begin to project [your problems] onto your life companion, your spiritual teachers, even onto the deities you are going to project some form of father-figure. And then you totally block. So, it is very important not to let it be there, just get it out of the system completely. Audience: You decide you want to go out of a system. I’ve done that on several occasions. People that I considered non-virtuous friends I’ve just walked away from and never looked back. And a lot of people said, “I think you are very cold,” but I was really protecting myself. I wasn’t angry, I saw staying would do me harm, so I just went away. Rimpoche: It looks that way, but if it is beneficial that way, you have to do it that way. Mahayana is great, it is the ultimate way, but without the Hinayana basis you can’t function. Aura: In those situations it is not a problem. You know, there are regions in our life that we are capable and able to do that. And everybody has those areas where they can look at the situation and see, “This is really doing me harm” and just walk away from it. That is not where the problem is. The problem is where we are enmeshed in something; we know it is doing us harm and we are afraid of letting it go and there is always emotional overlay around it. That is where it becomes a problem and that is where it becomes an area that we have to work with. Rimpoche: And by walking away you are not being unkind, you are protecting yourself. People may look at it as unkind, but let people look whatever way they want to look, you have to take care of yourself. Do whatever you have to do. Audience: What happens to individuals who develop wisdom without compassion? Rimpoche: These people will develop compassion. It is not necessary to develop love-compassion first and then wisdom; there is no certainty on which has to be done first.

182 Lam Rim Teachings Audience: Would their pride become too strong? Rimpoche: Maybe not pride, because they have quite destroyed the ego-business. But arrogance will be there, sure, not able to cooperate. Audience: You mentioned that only three buddhas are going to bring Vajrayana teachings. What happens to the thousands and millions of individuals who have obtained enlightenment through Vajrayana, like the Dalai Lama. In future lives he just stops teaching the tantra? Rimpoche: The official buddha of the period has to open the doorway. Like with musicians in an orchestra, no matter how good or learned you might be, you have to go according to the leader. You may do something a thousand times better than the leader, but you have to follow. It would be an insult to the official buddha. Audience: Are the three higher trainings talking about the second, fifth and sixth paramita? Rimpoche: The three higher trainings of mind are totally different. The three higher trainings are the basic principles of the Buddhist teachings [so also in Hinayana]. The moral discipline is to control the gross delusions, the concentration is against the subtle delusions and the wisdom is against ignorance, both gross and subtle. Whether a practice is great or not great, you should regard from the angle of whether the three qualities are knitted in it or not. If not, it is not going against the delusions at all. And if it doesn’t go against delusions, why waste time? This is very important. Every meditational practice you do has some opponent, is an antidote to something. So whether it is properly disciplined and works against it or not, is the quality of the moral of that particular practice. And whether in that practice the practitioner thinks properly, whether it is really pinpointing on the point, is the concentration. And whether it has any wisdom behind, is properly clear and loosely working through, that is the wisdom part of it. If that is missing that practice has a problem and, truly speaking, it is not going against any delusion. Then with whatever you do you’re wasting time. That is the basis principle you must look at, that will be helpful. Each one of the paramitas will have its own quality. Concentration counted as one of the paramitas has a slightly different explanation and a slightly different way of looking at it compared to the concentration of the three higher trainings.

Chapter XXIV: The Last Two Paramitas: Concentration and Wisdom On dependent existence and emptiness Audience: (About genetics…) Geshe Thabkye: To get an apple from the seed depends on conditions. It is actually conceivable to get anything from that seed. With some super-radical change of conditions anything could come from that seed. But everything depends on conditions. That is the point. The causes are of many different kinds, common causes and uncommon causes. The water, the humidity, the air, the earth etc. do not bring the apple; as special uncommon cause it needs the seed. That specialty brings this apple. If the uncommon apple-seed does not exist, you cannot have the apple. So you need the special cause, which brings the exact result. If something happens to the cause, then also the effect, the result, is affected. Whatever the cause is, it brings a similar result. Audience: You were talking about how the understanding of emptiness can tear the fabric of existence. You began to talk about how even having doubt about emptiness can help. Is it having doubt of emptiness or having doubt of inherent existence? Geshe Thabkye: That is a very good question. The doubt can be put both ways. One way we have mentioned earlier. We hold ourselves as self-existent, as some kind of continuing big thing and then we hold that as very important and accordingly we create all the trouble. We always perceive something big, important, continuing, but we never think, “How is it really?” We never, never think about it. We take it for granted, we never look into that direction, never even doubt it. But when you begin to look, what does that ‘empty of’ mean? Empty of what? What is that self? You can doubt, saying, “What does that empty really mean?” That is not really doubting about it, it is looking into it, thinking about it, creating an idea about it, trying to understand it better. Suppose there is a thief among the

Appendices: Questions and Answers 183 people here, somebody says, “I lost something, it has to be one of us in here, it must be someone on my right side somewhere, who could it be?,” then it is becoming closer and closer to the one who caused it. Similarly, the danger begins to rise to the cause of samsara, ignorance, which is sort of hiding among all things. So the danger is coming closer towards that ignorance, the problem is coming closer to the backyard, and that makes the fabric of samsara to be torn. That is the expression. Therefore doubt is important. Here we do not look at doubt as we normally understand it, like doubting whether there are previous lives or not; it is not that type of doubt. Doubt here means really looking into something, trying to understand what it is all about, trying to study, getting into it, tuning in. Audience: Could you comment on the saying, “I am the experience of the whole of my life, I am the creator of my life” is the true ego? Geshe Thabkye: The totality of the people’s capacity and functioning builds up much more when you lose your big ego-boosting self. We over here just now built a small totality of basic functioning that serves only the benefit of the one individual who gets it. But when you lose that, and you become serving and benefiting not one individual only but millions, its power and strength become much more. By losing the strong self- generated ego the drive of the total efforts becomes more powerful and strong and you don’t get burned out easily, you will be able to function more. Also I would like to emphasize one thing. If you look into the Buddhist teachings, if you just look in the Lamrim, you do find the lower, medium and mahayana practice, or even the vajrayana practice. All of them are stages that you have to go. Not only you have stages to go, but also you pray “May we be able to do it” and you leave it at that level. There is no way one can do everything together, especially at this stage. Audience: What is the difference between selflessness, dag meba,164 and emptiness, tong pa nyi?165 Geshe Thabkye: You divide selflessness into two: the gross selflessness is not emptiness, the subtle is. 166 Audience: If phenomena are without inherent existence, is emptiness without inherent existence? And if the answer is “No, it is based on cause and conditions”, then my question is: Are causes and conditions themselves without inherent existence? Geshe Thabkye: Emptiness does not grow out of cause and effect at all. Emptiness rises because of the basis and labeling. Cause and effect is of course dependent arising. Audience: Are causes and conditions without inherent existence? Geshe Thabkye: Sure. Causes and conditions rise because of causes and conditions; therefore there is no inherent existence. Audience: So understanding emptiness properly is to see it in terms of the combination of labeling and basis? Geshe Thabkye: Emptiness is dependent arising; not on cause and effect, but on basis and labeling. So there are two kinds of depending arising [depending on causality and depending on imputation]. Get it?

On the continuation of being Audience: There are always causes and conditions and yet there seems to be some continuum aspect which forms through all these causes and conditions, we keep going back to an aspect that continues. Is it only through buddha consciousness or buddha mind that one can apprehend that? Geshe Thabkye: Not necessarily can it only be comprehended by the enlightened mind. In our ordinary mind we also can trace the continuation of the previous life. You don't need an enlightened mind to be able to comprehend that. The continuation is not only the result of causes, but of the continuation of being. Audience: But it is still dependent. Geshe Thabkye: Of course. That question does not rise. It is dependent, but it is a continuation of being. The continuation is a very delicate point. Truly speaking the previous person is not the today's person. For sure. The today's person is not the previous person, it is not. However that person's continuation is continuing today. This continuation is a very delicate one. For example. If you lit one candle to another candle, the candle is like the form. However, you get the light from there and you start a light here and there and the

164 Transliteration: bdag med pa. 165 Transliteration: stong pa nyid. [Skt. shunyata]. 166 Jeffrey Hopkins, Meditation on emptiness, p. 296-304: Coarse and subtle selflessness.

184 Lam Rim Teachings light keeps on continuing, so there is a continuation. From that first light to the last light there is a continuation of light within that. Like that. Audience: When you use a candle to light another candle, the new candle does not carry any of the results of the imprints of the previous candle. But that previous candle is bound to be crooked or melted funny on one side or whatever, the new candle however depends only on its conditions, is completely fresh, although it got the spark. The spark is the continuum, but the lifetime-experience, I understand, is not the same. Geshe Thabkye: I am glad you raised that question. From the previous life to this life there is a continuation. That continuation will also be changing, changing its continuum. Now for example from one candle to another candle it is true that the wax is new, the shape is new, crooked or non-crooked is new, it is completely fresh. However there is a spark continuing. Just like that in the mental stage of the person the continuation will follow. Only the tiny spark like that will be the continuation. Audience: In the candle-example one would ask whether the light of that candle would carry the lifetime- influence of that candle's experience and if that would somehow be transferred on to the new candle's birth. Then also when somebody dies in the lifetime what you are dealing with, the major experiences of this life and other things that have ripened, really affect the new candle that they light, and really then affect the whole thing. The throwing karma is set into motion, so it is not just a neutral: the candle is lit and then it is on its own and with whatever conditions it meets.... Answer: That continuation will carry the previous karmic effects and it will materialize and it will shape here. Technically you call it two different persons, but actually you call it continuation. It that a little better?

Audience: In the sequence from one person to another, are there simultaneous incarnations of the same person possible? Geshe Thabkye: No, unless you manifest. If you manifest it is different. That is like one moon in the space making a lot of different reflections in the lakes.

Audience: A related question. If all is interdependent and something is rising in an individual situation, how do we have any sense of what is rising? Geshe Thabkye: Apparently we don't. What cause brings what result one can only know by depending on the words of the enlightened ones, because it is beyond our scope. However, we basically know that a good cause will bring a good life and a bad cause brings a bad life. That much we know. Beyond that, what is coming and what is not coming, what is really connected, where is what coming, these things are beyond our scope.

BASIC LAMRIM OUTLINES

Lamrim is: the complete Mahayana dharma system that leads the fortunate person to enlightenment the path re-opened and reconfirmed by the great masters Nagarjuna and Asanga the essence of the heart practice of the great Atisha and Tsongkhapa the container of the essence of all teachings of the Buddha, laid out in order and easy to follow

I. Quality of the source II. Quality of the teachings III. How to listen and how to teach IV. How to practice: actual methods for spiritual development A. The root of all development [foundation of the path]: WHOLEHEARTED COMMITMENT TO A SPIRITUAL GUIDE B. How to train the mind from that development basis: 1. Taking the essence out of life: PRECIOUS HUMAN LIFE: EMBRACING OUR LIFE 2. How to take the essence out of life: a. Training common with the lower level: seeking happiness for the future life How to develop the motivation CONTEMPLATING DEATH CONTEMPLATING THE SUFFERINGS OF THE LOWER REALMS Actual method to obtain happiness in future life: TAKING REFUGE TO BUDDHA, DHARMA AND SANGHA DEVELOPING FAITH IN THE LAW OF KARMA b. Training common with the medium level: seeking liberation How to develop the motivation CONTEMPLATING THE SUFFERINGS OF SAMSARA Actual method to get liberated SEEING THE CREATION OF SAMSARA: KARMA AND DELUSIONS WALKING THE PATH TO LIBERATION c. Training on the Mahayana path, highest level: aspiration to enlightenment How to develop the motivation DEVELOPING THE AWAKENING MIND [bodhicitta] Actual method to become enlightened: TRAINING IN THE PARAMITAS THE UNBIASED OUTLOOK ON REALITY [shunyata] 186 Lam Rim Teachings DETAILED LAMRIM OUTLINES Lamrim is: The sublime Mahayana teaching, the complete dharma system that leads the fortunate to enlightenment. It is re-opened and reconfirmed by the great maha-pandits Nagarjuna and Asanga. It is a profound teaching containing the essence of the wisdom of the great Atisha and the Dharma king of the three worlds, Je Tsongkhapa. In this the eighty-four thousand teachings of Sakyamuni Buddha without exception have been concentrated into a gradu- ate practice that enables any individual to achieve enlightenment. This is the one path all the buddhas have taught.

I. Quality of the source: presentation of the outstanding development of the Lamrim masters, in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of this teaching tradition A. Buddha 1. Qualities of a Buddha 2. The Life of Sakyamuni Buddha B. The lineages from Buddha to Atisha 1. The Indian Masters 2. Atisha’s life story a. Where and how Atisha was born b. The qualities that Atisha developed during his lifetime c. After developing those qualities what service Atisha gave i. in India ii. in Tibet C. The Lamrim lineage 1. The lives of the Kadampa masters 2 The life of Je Tsongkhapa 3. The Lamrim lineage masters from Tsongkhapa onwards via Pabongka Rinpoche, Kyabje Trijang and Kyabje Ling Rinpoche to Kyabje Gehlek Rimpoche. II. Quality of the teachings: the presentation of the exceptional qualities of the Lamrim teachings in order to generate appreciation A. Four main qualities of Lamrim 1. All the teachings are realized to be free of contradiction 2. All the teachings are recognized as personal instruction 3. The Conqueror’s underlying thought is easily comprehended 4. Harmful behaviors will stop B. Three additional qualities of Lamrim 1. It is the essence of all the Buddha’s teachings, with nothing left out 2. Lamrim is laid out in such a way that it is easy to practice 3. It brings together all the Buddhist traditions III. How to listen to and how to teach the dharma, that has these two qualities [of source and teaching] A. How to listen to the dharma 1. Thinking of the benefits of listening to and studying the dharma 2. Generating respect for the dharma and the dharma teacher 3. Avoiding the three faults of listening and studying 4. Cultivating the six helpful attitudes B. How to teach the dharma 1. Thinking of the benefits of giving the teachings 2. Being respectful to the Master and the dharma 3. Developing proper thoughts and actions 4. Knowing whom to teach and whom not to teach IV. How to practice; actual methods for spiritual development A. The root of the path – wholehearted commitment to a spiritual guide 1. What to do during meditation periods a. Preliminary activities: the six preliminaries i. Creating the environment 1) Cleaning the place 2) Stetting up the altar

Appendices: Outlines 187 ii. Preparing the offerings 1) Laying out the offerings 2) Blessing the offerings iii. Correcting the motivation 1) Taking a comfortable meditation seat 2) Taking a comfortable meditation posture 3) Creating mental space 4) Generating the right motivation 5) Visualizing the objects of refuge and taking refuge 6) Generating the bodhimind [bodhicitta] 7) Enhancing the bodhimind by the four immeasurables iv. Creating the Supreme Field of Merit v. The practice of the seven limbs and mandala-offering vi. Supplication tot the Field of Merit for instruction b. Actual session: meditation on the subject - Need for a spiritual master - Qualities of the teacher: Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana - Qualities of the student - Proper relationship i. The benefits of relying on a spiritual guide 1) It brings us closer to enlightenment. 2) The enlightened ones are pleased. 3) You get protection from anti-spiritual friends and spirits/demons. 4) Harmful behaviors will stop. 5) Your insight and realization of the paths and stages will increase. 6) Life after life you will be guided and protected. 7) You will not fall into the lower realms. 8) All your temporary (future lives) and permanent aims (enlightenment) will be achieved. ii. The disadvantages of not nor relying on or improperly following a spiritual guide 1) By insulting your guru, you insult the enlightened ones. 2) If the relationship has been damaged through anger it destroys eons of virtue. 3) Even with Vajrayana practice you can’t achieve anything. 4) Even with the most intensive Vajrayana practice you are simply creating the cause for rebirth in the hell. 5) Your prior spiritual development will decrease. 6) You will experience mental misery 7) You go towards a future in the lower realms. 8) Life after life you will never meet a spiritual guide. iii. How to treat the spiritual guide through the mind 1) The root practice of cultivating faith a) Why we should regard our spiritual master as a Buddha b) Why it is possible to regard our spiritual master as a Buddha c) How to regard our spiritual master as a Buddha i) Vajradhara affirmed that my spiritual master is a Buddha ii) The spiritual master is the agent for all Buddhas’ activities iii Even nowadays Buddhas and bodhisattvas are acting on behalf of all sentient beings iv) Our perceptions are unreliable 2) Developing respect for the spiritual master by remembering his kindness a) Remember the spiritual master is kinder than all the Buddhas b) Remember his kindness of teaching dharma c) Remember his kindness in blessing our mindstream d) Remember his kindness in attracting us into his circle iv. How to treat the spiritual guide through action 1) Offering material things 2) Showing honor and respect 3) Following the instructions exactly c. Conclusion: dedication 2. What to do between meditation periods

188 Lam Rim Teachings a. Consolidation b. Conditions for concentration and insight to develop B. How to train the mind from the basis of relying on a spiritual guide 1. Taking the essence out of life a. Embracing our life – recognizing our precious human life i. Eight leisures 1) Not being a hell-being 2) Not being a hungry ghost 3) Not being an animal 4) Not being a longevity god 5) Not being born in a place without dharma 6) Not being born in a place where you can’t practice 7) Not being mentally disabled 8) Not having wrong views 9) Ninth leisure ii. Ten opportunities or favorable conditions 1) Being a human being 2) Being born in a central region, where the dharma is flourishing 3) Having complete sensory faculties 4) Having reversible karma 5) Having faith in the sources 6) Being born in the time of the Buddha 7) Being born in a time that the teachings are available 8) Being born in a time that the teachings still remain 9) Being born in a time that practitioners of the dharma are available 10) Being born in a time that there is caring for others and results are available b. Understanding its value – contemplating the importance of this life i. Ultimate benefit ii. Temporary benefit iii. Moment to moment benefit c. Appreciating the rarity – contemplating how it is difficult to find i. By cause ii. By example iii. By nature 2. How to take the essence out of life a Initial scope: training the mind in the stages of the path common with the lower level i. How to develop the motivation: seeking happiness for future lives 1) Mindfulness of death: facing death realistically a) The disadvantages of not remembering death i) Our mind won’t turn towards the dharma ii) Even we remember the dharma, we’ll fail to practice it iii) Even if we practice it won’t be a solid practice iv) There is no perseverance v) We will be ruined by focusing on this life vi) We will have regret at the time of death b) The advantages of remembering death i) Death meditation leaves the strongest imprint ii) It is a powerful antidote to attachment and anger iii) We will turn towards the dharma – important in the beginning iv) During the stages of development you won’t fall back – important in the middle v) We will attain the goal of enlightenment – important at the end vi) We will have no regret at the time of death c) The actual meditation on death i) The nine-round meditation on death (1) First root: death is definite (a) No power can stop it (b) We can’t add to the lifespan (c) Even while we live we don’t have time to practice (2) Second root: The time of death is uncertain

Appendices: Outlines 189 (a) On the Southern continent there is no fixed lifespan (b) There are many more things that contribute to dying than to living (c) Our body is very fragile (3) Third root: At the time of death only the dharma is useful (a) Our possessions can’t help (b) Our family and friends can’t help (c) Even the body cannot help ii) Meditating on the aspects of death 2) The suffering of the lower realms a) The sufferings of a life in hell b) The suffering of a life as a hungry ghost c) The sufferings of a life as an animal ii. Actual method for achieving happiness in future lives 1) Going for refuge: taking a safe direction in life a) The causes for refuge b) Who to take refuge to: the objects of refuge i) Identifying the objects of refuge ii) Why the objects of refuge are fit for refuge c) How to take refuge i) Taking refuge by knowing the qualities of each of the Three Jewels ii) Taking refuge by knowing the distinctions within the Three Jewels iii) Taking refuge by accepting the objects of refuge iv) Taking refuge by not choosing false objects of refuge d) The benefits of taking refuge i) We become Buddhists ii) We establish the foundation for all vows iii) We can purify negative karma iv) We accumulate a great amount of merit v) We are protected from harm inflicted by humans and non-humans vi) We are prevented from taking rebirth in lower realms vii) All our temporary and ultimate wishes will be fulfilled viii) It helps us obtain enlightenment as quickly as possible e) The advices when having taken refuge i) General advices (1) Rely on a proper object of refuge (2) Discipline yourself (3) Have a compassion-oriented attitude (4) Remember Buddha, Dharma and Sangha ii) Advices concerning each of the Three Jewels in turn (1) Negative advices (a) Do not take refuge to worldly gods – Buddha (b) Avoid causing harm to other sentient beings – Dharma (c) Avoid getting influenced by non-virtuous or irreligious friends – Sangha (2) Positive advices (a) Pay respect to the Buddha (b) Pay respect to the Dharma (c) Pay respect to the Sangha iii) Advice concerning all Three Jewels in common (1) Take refuge repeatedly, remember the qualities of Buddha, dharma and sangha (2) Remember the kindness of Buddha, dharma and sangha and offer from your food (3) Encourage others to take refuge (4) Remember the benefits and take refuge three times each morning and each night (5) Rely on Buddha, dharma and sangha in all your activities (6) Do not give up the Three Jewels, not for the sake of life or merely as a joke 2) Karma: actions and their consequences a) Karma and its results in general

190 Lam Rim Teachings i) The four general characteristics of karma (1) Karma is definite (2) Karma is fast-growing (3) We cannot meet with a karma that we did not perform (4) A karma that we did perform does not lose its power to bear fruit ii) Divisions of karma (1) Four constituents for a complete karma (a) The base (b) The thought (c) The actions (d) The completion (2) Black karma: the ten non-virtuous actions (a) The actual presentation of the non-virtuous actions (b) Factors that attribute to their heaviness or lightness (i) The nature of the action (ii) The thought or motivation (iii) The preliminary action (iv) The base (v) The frequency (vi) The absence of antidotes (c) The results of non-virtuous actions (i) Direct or ripened result (ii) Corresponding results (iii) Environmental results (3) White karma: the ten virtuous actions (a) The actual presentation of the white karmic paths (b) The results of the white karmic paths b) Some specific teachings – aside effects i) Four factors affecting the strength of the results ii) Throwing karma and completing karma iii) A higher rebirth with eight special attributes c) After thinking about actions and their consequences, how to practice i) General practice: behaving properly ii) Particular practice: Purification by the four powers (1) The power of the base or recognition or reliance (2) The power of regret (3) The power of non-repetition or restraint (4) The power of the antidote or redirection b Medium scope: training the mind in the stages of the path common with the medium level i How to develop the motivation to seek liberation: recognizing samsara, its faults and sufferings 1) The general faults of samsara a) The fault of uncertainty b) The fault of dissatisfaction c) The fault of giving up the body again and again d) The fault of taking on a new existence again and again e) The fault of high becoming low again and again f) The fault of loneliness 2) The individual realms and their problems a) The sufferings in the lower realms b) The sufferings in the higher realms i) The sufferings of human beings (1) The suffering of birth (2) The suffering of aging (3) The suffering of sickness (4) The suffering of death (5) The suffering of meeting the unpleasant (6) The suffering of separation from the pleasant (7) The suffering of seeking what one wishes and not obtaining (8) The suffering of the five skandhas

Appendices: Outlines 191 ii) The sufferings of demi-gods iii) The sufferings of samsaric gods ii. Establishing the nature of the path that leads to liberation 1) Contemplating how Samsara is created: Karma and Delusions a) How the delusions develop i) Their actual recognition (1) The Six Root delusions (2) The twenty secondary delusions ii) The order in which the delusions arise iii) The causes or contributing factors of the delusions iv) The consequences or disadvantages of the delusions b) How these delusions create karma c) Dying and rebirth i) What happens at death ii) The way one achieves the bardo or intermediate stage iii) The way one is conceived and reborn 2) Establishing the path to liberation a) The physical basis we need in order to attain liberation b) The path we need to practice in order to attain liberation c. Mahayana scope: training the mind in the Mahayana stages of the path i. Benefits of developing the bodhimind 1) The gateway into the Mahayana is nothing but developing the bodhimind 2) You obtain the title of ‘Child of Buddha’ 3) Your state will be higher then that of sravakas and pratyeka-buddhas 4) You become a field of merit 5) You develop a tremendous amount of merit easily 6) Negativities are easily purified 7) It helps to fulfill the wishes of yourself and others 8) None of the obstacles and disturbances can harm you 9) You are in the position to develop all bhumis and paths to enlightenment quickly 10) You become the foundation [source] of happiness and joy for others ii. How to generate the bodhimind 1) The actual practice of the development of the bodhimind a) The Seven Stages of development of the bodhimind 0) Equanimity i) Recognition of everybody as one’s mother or as ultimate friend ii) Remembering the kindness we received from others iii) Wanting to repay the kindness we received from others iv) Great Love v) Great Compassion vi) Special mind, crazy commitment, superior intention vii) Generating the bodhimind b) The Exchange Method of Development of the Bodhimind – five steps i) Equalizing self and others ii) Faults of self-cherishing: self-cherishing as the source of all problems iii) Benefits of cherishing others iv) Actual exchange of self and others, of you and me v) The meditation-practice of giving and taking c) The Eleven Stages Development of the Bodhimind i) Equanimity ii) Recognition of all beings as mother-beings iii) Remembering the kindness of the mothers and remembering their special kindness iv) Repaying the kindness v) Equalizing of oneself with all others vi) Seeing the faults of self-cherishing vii) Seeing the advantages or benefit of cherishing other people viii) Exchange of self and others

192 Lam Rim Teachings ix) Give and take technique. Compassion and love are in that. x) Special mind xi) Bodhicitta d) The Lojong Training of Development of the Bodhimind i) Preliminary supporting dharma practices ii) Training the mind in the path to enlightenment iii) Bringing unfavorable conditions into the path to enlightenment (1) Transformation through mind: mental behavior (2) Transformation through action iv) Practice in actual life (1) The five powers applying to this life (2) The five powers of the death-stage v) The signs of development vi) The commitments of mind training vii) The advices 2) Taking the bodhisattva vow through ritual i) How to acquire the vow if it has not previously been taken ii) How to keep your vow from degenerating once it has been taken iii. How to train oneself in the bodhisattva activities – the paramitas or perfections 1) How to ripen one’s own mind by training in the six perfections [Skt. paramitas] a) General training in the first four paramitas i) Paramita of generosity [Skt. dana] (1) What generosity is (2) Classification: three types of generosity (a) Generosity of protecting from fear (b) Generosity of dharma (c) Generosity of fulfilling the needs of beings ii) Paramita of morality [Skt. sila] (1) What morality is (2) Classification: three types of morality (a) Morality or commitment of protecting your vows (b) Morality or commitment of developing yourself (c) Morality or commitment of helping others (3) How to develop morality within the individual (a) Reflecting on the disadvantages of not having pure morality (b) Reflecting on the benefits of having pure morality iii) Paramita of patience [Skt. ksanti] (1) What patience is (2) Classification: three types of patience (a) The patience of not retaliating on harming (b) The patience of accepting suffering (c) The patience of continuing the dharma practice (3) How to develop patience within the individual (a) Reflecting on the advantages of having patience (b) Reflecting on the disadvantages of not having patience (c) Meditating on the three types of patience (i) How to meditate on the patience of not retaliating on harming. (ii) How to meditate on the patience of accepting suffering (iii) How to meditate on the patience of continuing the dharma practice iv) Paramita of diligence [Skt. virya] (1) What diligence is (2) Classification: three different types of diligence (a) Diligence like armor (b) Diligence of commitment to virtuous activities (c) Diligence of totally helping other beings (3) How to develop diligence within the individual (a) Reflecting on the benefits of diligence or enthusiasm (b) Reflecting on the disadvantages of laziness

Appendices: Outlines 193 (c) Recognizing the obstacles in developing diligence: three types of laziness (d) Four powers to develop diligence or enthusiasm v) Paramita of concentration [Skt. samadhi or dhyana, Tib. bsam gtan] vi) Paramita of wisdom [Skt. prajna; Tib. shes rab] b) Specific training in the last two paramitas i) Benefits of the last two paramitas ii) How it is the basis of all meditation systems iii) Actual recognition of zhinay and lhagtong iv) The reasons why you need both (1) Development of zhinay – calm abiding (the paramita of concentration) (a) The prerequisites for developing zhinay (b) How to develop zhinay on that basis (i) The meditative posture (ii) The meditative process (c) How we move along the path on the basis of having attained zhinay (2) Development of lhagtong – insight (the paramita of wisdom) 2) How to ripen the minds of others by the four means a) Showing generosity. b) Speaking in a kind and loving manner c) Working for the benefit of others. d) Practicing what one preaches. I. A. 1. a. i. 1) a) i) (1) (a) (i)

194 Lam Rim Teachings CHART 3

Appendices: Charts 195 CHART 4

196 Lam Rim Teachings

CHART 6: Bodhisattva Paths and Stages

Appendices: Charts 197

CHART 7: Bodhisattva Paths, Stages and Practices Paths Stages Practices

V Path no more learning buddha level Acquiantance Extra - Extra

Tib. mi lob lam Result realizing buddhahood: [Hinayana: arhat level] three kayas: -dharmakaya -sambhogakaya -nirmanakaya IV Path of meditation Bodhisattva stages [Skt. bhumis] 37 Practices Tib. gom lam 1-7 impure levels, 8-10 pure levels [buddhadharmas, with emptiness emptiness with bhumi: fulfillment of paramita: Wings of Enlightenment] gradual elimination of ordinary innate conception of inherent 10 Cloud of Dharma Exalted Wisdom Eightfold Noble Path: existence and imprints 9 Perfect Intelligence Power correct view 8 Immovable Commitment correct realization

of the delusions. 7 Far reaching Method correct speech The objects of abandonment are 6 Forward Facing Wisdom correct aims of actions arranged in relation to the three 5 Difficult to overcome Concentration correct livelihood realms and nine levels (chart 3,4). 4 Radiant Diligence correct effort Each level has nine obstacles to 3 Luminous Patience correct mindfulness be abandoned. 2 Faultless Morality correct meditative stabilization [Hinayana: once-returner & non-returner] III Path of seeing 1 Extremely Joyful Generosity Seven Limbs Tib. tong lam of Enlightenment: Paths level level 2. Post-meditation stage [pure] memory, discriminating wisdom, 1. Absorption stage Direct encounter with Emptiness realizing shunyata effort, arya bodhisattva joy, Knowledge of four noble truths. pliancy, Artificial conceptions of inherent [Hinayana: stream-enterer] samadhi, existence and other delusions are cut equanimity II Path of Preparation Action-level Five forces: Ordinary Tib. jor lam Practice [post-meditational]: faith, ef- preparing for fort, mindfulness, meditative direct realization of emptiness Full development of getting insight stabilization, wisdom into emptiness 4. Supreme dharma stage Five powers 3. Patience stage [in meditation]: faith, effort, 2. Peak stage mindfulness, meditative sta- 1. Heat stage bilization, wisdom

I. Path of Accumulation Beginner-level of Four Samadhis Tib. tsog lam [Legs of Miracle Action] level level 3. Final stage Accumulation of Merit Four Thorough -Love-compassion 2. Medium stage Abandonings -Wisdom (zhinay based) 1. Initial stage Four Mindfulnesses:

realizing bodhicitta ordinary bodhisattva body, feelings, mind, phenomena Base

Entering level level Entering Pre-paths Pre-level of Mahayana practice emptiness 3. Mahayana level 3. Development of bodhicitta: -Seven Stages. -Exchange Method 2. Common with 2. Seeking liberation from samsara: the Medium Level -Four Noble Truths, -Twelve Links 1. Seeking happiness for future lives: 1. Common with Precious human life, Impermanence/death, Suffering Lower Realms, Refuge, Karma. the Lower Level

198 Lam Rim Teachings CHART 2 Basis, Path and Result in Lamrim Basis Path or Vehicle Result Miscellaneous or Foun- main sub- vehicle trad- started dation division division type stages texts itions as vows teacher precious (A) (1) human life state of Thera- tradi- prati- spiritual Hina- Sravaka- Causal Sutras an arhat vada- tion mok- teacher endowed yana yana Vehicle = yana of sha with Sutra vehicle Words nirvana monks vow source eighteen yana of small of the of qualities the = = vehicle hearers one cre- teachings ates the Buddha liberation = help inspi- can causes = tra- ration lead (2) for Skt. mok- vow of Lam exoteric dition one Pratyeka- sha individual = of the person rim Tib. tharpa liberation buddha- public Elders to yana liberation liberation vehicle of = from solitary samsara realizers bodhicitta (B) / (3) paramitayana Stages Prajna- state of a Maha- lay bodhi- spiritual of vehicle of the para- buddha yana move- sattva friend the Maha- the perfections mita ment. vow determination yana Path = Skt. to = sutra enligh- kalyana- achieve = large tenment mitra enlightenment Bodhi- vow of for vehicle = sattva- Skt. bodhi liberating every yana all sentient being Tib. jang- sutrayana chub beings bodhicitta able to (C) result Nag Tantras = tan- spiritual take aspiration all beings Vajra- vehicle rim liberation tric master to taught to yana of all vow enlightenment one = by Skt. guru, liberation diamond problems takes Stages Buddha Tib. lama, & vehicle Vajra- and or the of seeing the realisation emptiness enlighten- = result the dhara spiritual of all Skt. shunyata ment mantrayana as Mantra master Tib. tong pa secret mantra, the [path] esoteric qualities as nyid tantrayana, path = = a buddha correct view the quick path Vajrayana hidden The three yanas Traditional counting – from Prajnaparamita: three separate paths, each consisting of five paths. 1. Sravaka-yana. 2. Pratyekabuddha-yana. 3. Bodhisattva-yana, of which vajrayana is part. ‘Newer’ and practical division that developed in the west a.o. by the talks of Trungpa Rinpoche: A. Hinayana. B. Mahayana. C. Vajrayana That is de sequence of paths a ‘mahayanist’ walks on on his road to quick enlightenment: first a number of steps common with hinayana, in de lamrim called: ‘common with the lower level’ en ‘common with the medium level’, then moving on to the Mahayana level, eventually speeding up through Vajrayana. Remark: The ‘lower level’: a fortunate rebirth is a sub-goal, not an ultimate goal. Basis, path and result in general Basis: the Two Truths: absolute and relative truth Path the Two Paths: wisdom and method / wisdom and compassion Result: the Two Kayas: mental and physical aspects of a buddha: dharmakaya and rupakaya

ROOT TEXTS

Thought Transformation in Eight Stanzas Langri Tangpa Dorje Senge [1054-1123] of the kadam tradition, disciple of Geshe Potowa, who was in turn a direct spiritual son of the layman Dromtönpa, Atisha’s closest Tibetan disciple.

1. With a determination to accomplish te highest welfare for all sentient beings, Who surpass even a wish-granting jewel, I will learn to hold them supremely dear. 2. Whenever I associate with others, I will learn to think of myself as the lowest of all, and respectfully hold others as being supreme from the depth of my heart. 3. In all actions I will learn to search into my own mind, And as soon as an afflictive emotion arises, Endangering myself and others, I will firmly face and avert it. 4. I will cherish beings of bad nature, And those oppressed by strong negativities and suferrings, As if I had found a precious treasure Very difficult to find. 5. When others, out of jealousy, treat me badly With abuse, slander and so on, I will lear to take all loss And offer the victory to them. 6. When one whom I have benefitted with great hope Unreasonable hurts me very badly I will learn to view that person As an excellent spiritual guide. 7. In short, I will learn to offer to everyone without exception All help and happiness directly and indirectly And secretly take upon myself All the harms and sufferings of my mothers. 8. I will learn to keep all these practices Undefiled by the stains of the eight worldly conceptions, And, by understanding all phenomena to be like illusions, I will be released from the bondage of attachment. Translation from: Dalai Lama, The Union of Bliss and Emptiness, p. 162-164 200 Lam Rim Teachings Seven Point Mind training by Geshe Chekawa (1102-1176)

Homage to Great Compassion. These instructions are the essence of the nectar. They have been passed down from Serlingpa. They are like a diamond, the sun, and a medicinal tree. Understand the purpose and so forth of these texts. When the five degenerations are flourishing, transform them into the path to enlightenment.

ONE: PRELIMINARY SUPPORTING DHARMA PRACTICES Initially, train in the preliminaries.

TWO: TRAINING THE MIND IN THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT Training in relative bodhicitta Put all the blame on the one. Meditate on everyone as kind. Train alternately in the two, taking and giving. Begin taking with yourself. Mount the two upon the breath. There are three objects, three poisons, and three roots of virtue. These, in brief, are the instructions for the post-meditation period. Be mindful in order to admonish yourself. Train yourself with the verses during all activities. Training in ultimate bodhicitta Having attained stability, be shown the secret. Consider phenomena to be like a dream. Analyze the nature of ungenerated awareness. Even the antidote itself is naturally free. Focus on the nature of the basis of all, the entity of the path. Between sessions be an illusionist.

THREE: BRINGING UNFAVORABLE CONDITIONS INTO THE PATH TO ENLIGHTENMENT When the vessel and its contents are filled with negativities, Transform these unfavorable conditions into the path to enlightenment. Immediately apply whatever you meet to meditation. Possess the four preparations, the supreme method.

FOUR: INTEGRATING THE PRACTICES IN A SINGLE LIFETIME In brief, the essence of the instructions is to apply the five forces. The Great Vehicle instructions on transference are those very five forces; cherish this behavior.

FIVE: THE MEASURE OF A TRAINED MIND Combine all the Dharma into one intention. Of the two witnesses, rely on the primary one. Always rely on mental happiness alone.

Appendices: Root Texts 201 The measure of being trained is to no longer regress. To be trained is to possess the five signs of greatness. You are trained when able even if distracted.

SIX: THE COMMITMENTS OF MIND TRAINING 1. Constantly train in the three general points. 2. Change your attitude, but remain natural. 3. Do not mention [others’] impaired limbs. 4. Do not think about others’ affairs. 5. Initially, purify whatever affliction is the strongest. 6. Give up all hope of reward. 7. Avoid poisoned food. 8. Do not hold a grudge. 9. Do not respond to malicious talk. 10. Do not lie in ambush. 11. Do not strike to the core. 12. Do not put the load of a dzo on an ox. 13. Do not aim to win the race. 14. Do not use perverse means. 15. Do not turn a god into a demon. 16. Do not seek [others’] suffering as a means to your own happiness.

SEVEN: ADVICE REGARDING MIND TRAINING 1. Perform all yogas with the one. 2. Apply the one to all perverse oppressors. 3. Do the two activities, one at the beginning and one at the end. 4. Be patient whichever of the two occurs. 5. Guard the two at the risk of your life. 6. Train in the three difficult ones. 7. Obtain the three principal causes. 8. Cultivate the three without deterioration. 9. Possess the three without separation. 10. Train in purity and impartiality with respect to objects. 11. Cherish all of the encompassing and profound trainings. 12. Meditate constantly on the special cases. 13. Do not look for other conditions. 14. Practice the most important right now. 15. Avoid the distorted understandings. 16. Do not be erratic. 17. Train continuously. 18. Attain liberation with the two, investigation and analysis. 19. Do not boast. 20. Refrain from retaliating. 21. Refrain from retaliating. 22. Do not wish for gratitude. translation: Gomo Rinpoche, Becoming a Child of the Buddhas

202 Lam Rim Teachings Guide to the Middle Way (chapter 1-5) Chandrakirti [7th century]

1. Hearers {sravakas] and middling realizers of suchness [pratyekabuddhas] Are born from the Kings of Subduers [buddhas]. Buddhas are born from bodhisattvas. The mind of compassion, non-dual understanding, And the altruistic mind of enlightenment Are the causes of Children of Conquerors

2. Mercy alone is seen as the seed Of a Conqueror’s rich harvest, As water for development, and as Ripening in a state of long enjoyment, Therefore at the start I praise compassion.

3. Homage to that compassion for migrators who are Powerless like a bucket travelling in a well Through initially adhering to a self, an ‘I’, And then generating attachment for things, “This is mine.”

4. [Homage to that compassion for] migrators Seen as evanescent of inherent Existence like a moon in rippling water.

Mind of a superior bodhisattva

The mind of a Child of a Conqueror overpowered With compassion to liberate migrators

5. Dedicated with Samanthabhadra’s aspirations, And abiding in joy is called the first. Then, having thus attained that mind His is called a ‘bodhisattva’.

6. Born in the Tathagata lineage He completely forsakes the three links. The bodhisattva attains an excellent joy And can vibrate a hundred world-systems.

7. Advancing from ground to ground he ascends, Now all his paths to bad migrations have ceased, All the levels of ordinary beings are ended. He is shown to be like the eighth superior [becoming stream-enterer].

8. Even those abiding in the first mind of complete enlightenment Overcome those born from the speech of the Subduer Kings And solitary realizers through their own merit’s increase. On the ‘gone afar’ he surpasses them with his intelligence.

Appendices: Root Texts 203 Generosity – first ground

9. Then for him the first cause of perfect Enlightenment – giving – becomes surpassing. His devotion to giving even his own flesh Is reason for inferring the unimaginable.

10. All these beings want happiness, but human Happiness does not occur without resources. Knowing that resources arise from giving The Subduer first discoursed on that.

11. Even for beings with little compassion, Brutal and intent on their own aims, Desired resources arise from giving, Causing extinguishment of suffering.

12. Through giving even they will quickly attain A meeting with a superior being. And they will cut the continuum of cyclic existence, Going to the peace caused by meeting a superior.

13. Those bearing in mind a promise to help beings Attain happiness from giving before too long. For those merciful and those not so Only discourse on giving is therefore chief.

14. Whereas when a Conqueror Child hears and thinks Of the word ‘give’, happiness arises, The subduers abiding in peace [nirvana] have no [such] happiness. What need is there to mention [the joy of] giving all?

15. Through his own suffering in cutting and giving Away his body, he sees with knowledge others’ pain In hells and so forth, and strives quickly To eliminate their suffering.

16. Giving void of gift, giver and receiver Is called a supramundane perfection. When attachment to these three is produced, It is called a mundane perfection.

17. Abiding thus in the mind of a Child of a Conqueror Beautifying with light this excellent base, The Joyful [ground] like a water crystal jewel Destroys and overcomes all heavy darkness.

Morality or ethics – second ground

18. Because his ethics are sublime and have pure qualities, He forsakes the stains of faulty ethics even while he dreams. Because his movement of body, speech, and mind are pure, He accumulates all ten paths of excellent deeds.

204 Lam Rim Teachings 19. For him these ten paths of virtue, Perfected, are extremely pure. Like an autumn moon he is always pure Beautified by them, serene and radiant.

20. If he views his ethics as inherently pure, Then their purity will not be complete. Thus he always forsakes completely the wandering Of the dualistic intellect toward the three.

21. The arising in bad migrations of resources from giving Is due to a being’s losing his legs of ethics. Having spent completely both principal and interest He will be without resources in the future.

22. If when acting freely and living agreeably, He does not act to hold [himself back from falling down], He will fall into an abyss and lose control; How will he raise himself from there in the future?

23. Thus the Conqueror, having discoursed on giving, Spoke upon its accompaniment by ethics. When virtues are nurtured on the field of ethics, The enjoyment of effects is increasing.

24. For common beings, those born from the word, Those set toward solitary enlightenment, and Conqueror Children, a cause of definite goodness And high status is no other than proper ethics.

25. Just as an ocean is incompatible with a corpse And just as prosperity is incompatible with calamity, So a great being subdued by ethics Does not wish to live with faulty ethics.

26. If there be any apprehension of the three – Forsaken by whom, what, and with regard to whom – Such ethics are described as being a mundane perfection. That empty of attachment to the three is supramundane.

27. Like the light of an autumn moon, the Stainless Arising from the moon of a Conqueror Child, Though not wordly, the glory of the world, Removes the mental distress of migrators.

Patience – third ground

28. Because the light of the fire wholly consuming The fuel of objects of knowledge arises, The third ground is called the Luminous, for a copper Splendour like the sun appears to the Sugata Child.

Appendices: Root Texts 205 29. Though another, unjustifiably disturbed By anger, cuts from his body flesh and bone Bit by bit for a long time, he generates Patience strongly toward the mutilator.

30. Also through viewing these phenomena As like reflections – what bodhisattva Seeing selflessness is cut, by whom, Just how, and when – he will be patient.

31. If you get angry with someone who has done you harm, Is that harm stopped because of your resentment of him? Resentment thus is certainly senseless here And unfavourable for future lives.

32. How could it be right for one, wishing to assert that He is finishing the effects of non-virtuous Actions done earlier, to sow the seeds of Suffering through harming and hating others?

33. One moment of hating a Conqueror Child destroys The virtues arising from giving and ethics Accumulated for a hundred aeons. Thus there can be no [worse] sin than impatience.

34. It creates an ugly form, leads to the unholy, And robs discrimination that knows right and wrong. Through impatience one is quickly cast into a bad migration. Patience creates qualities opposite to those

35. Explained above. Through patience comes beauty, dearness To the holy, skill in discriminating between The right and wrong, birth afterwards as a human Or god, and the extinguishment of non-virtues.

36. Ordinary beings and Conqueror Children Realizing the faults of anger and advantages of patience And forsaking impatience, should quickly and always observe The patience praised by superior beings.

37. Though dedicated to enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, [Patience] is mundane if one apprehends the three. [Patience] that does not involve such apprehension Buddha taught as a perfection supramundane.

38 On this ground the Conqueror Child has the concentrations And clairvoyances. Desire and hatred are extinguished. Always he is able to overcome The world’s lustful desires as well.

39. The Sugata mainly praised these three practices Of giving, ethics, and patience for householders.

206 Lam Rim Teachings These are also the collection of merit, the cause Of a buddha body the nature of which is form.

40. Abiding in the sun which is the Conqueror Child, The Luminous first completely dispels his darkness, Then seeks to overcome the darkness of migrators. On this ground, though very sharp, he does not get angry.

Diligence – fourth ground

41. All attainments follow after effort, Cause of the two collections of merit And wisdom. The ground where effort Flames is the fourth, the Radiant.

42. There for the Sugata Child an illumination arises Produced from a greater cultivation of the harmonies Of perfect enlightenment, surpassing the copper light. What is related to the view of self is extinguished.

Concentration – fifth ground

43. This great being on the ground Difficult to Overcome Cannot be defeated even by all the demons. His concentration excels, and he attains great skill in knowledge Of the subtle nature of the truths of those with a good mind. Transl. J. Hopkins, Compassion in Tibetan Buddhism, p. 101-230

INDEX g refers to the Glossary in volume I lit refers to the Literature in volume II

and patience, 180 and love-compassion, 37, 59–60 and Serlingpa, 13 and negativities, 19 A and stream-enterer, 12 and self-cherishing, 40, 44–46 abhidharma, 35, g and Tibetans, 39 Atisha on, 15 Abhidharmakosha (Vasubandhu). g, and Vajrayana practitioners, 12 benefits of, 10–27 lit and Yamantaka ghost, 12 accumulation of merit, 17–19 Abhisamayalankara (Maitreya), 92, lifestory, 111 child of Buddha, 14–15 lit quoted field of merit, 16–17 absolute and relative on bodhimind, 12, 42 foundation of happiness, 25– bodhimind, 13 on habitual pattern, 30 26 truth, 136, 198 ontaming mind, 97 fulfilment of wishes, 22–23 Acarya. g attachment gateway to Mahayana, 10–14 aggregates. g, See skandhas and equanimity, 33, 52 higher state, 15–16 Ajatashatru, 17, g at the time of death, 84–85 obstacles can't harm, 23–24 Akanishta. g Avadana, 17 purification, 19–22 Amé, 40 Avalokiteshvara, 123, 180, g summary, 26 Amitabha, 84, g Avatamsaka sutra, 15, 21, 75, g, lit development of, 29–95 analytical meditation. See meditation Avici hell. g eleven stages, 63–64 Ananda. g awakening. g exchange method, 60–63 anger lojong training, 67–95 and equanimity, 32, 33 B seven stages, 30–37, 52–60 and non-beings, 115 diamond quality, 15 destroys virtue, 115–18 bardo. g doorway to Mahayana, 43 observing, 33, 174 bardowa. g essence of practice, 40–42 suppressing, 119 help, 172 give-and-take practice, 48–49, Tsongkhapa on, 115–18 Bari Dorje Chang, 92 70–74 animal. g basis path result, 157–58, 198 gives birth to buddha, 17 arhat. g chart, 198 habitual pattern, 83 and buddhahood, 8 behavior how Buddha developed, 11 and mahayana path, 178 and spiritual development, 91 how help others, 171 level, 7 Beng, Geshe. g important at all stages, 26, 41–43 Manjushri's interference, 9 quoted, 82 practice of perfections, 101–66 with/without left-over, 9, 34 Bhavaviveka, 117 prayer and action, 13 arya. g bhumi. g realtive and absolute, 83 level of, 156, 164 bikshu. g relative and absolute, 13, 178 Aryadeva Bimbisara, king, 17, g two goals, 10 and Matricheta, 141–42 birth. See rebirth, four ways of birth what it is, 9 Aryasura, 8 bliss, 134, g bodhisattva. g Asanga. g Bodhgaya. g action bodhimind, 19, 95 and Prajnaparamita, 21 bodhicitta, 55, 198, Also see and patience, 115 how he developed bodhimind, bodhimind bhumis, 197 20–21 training in relative, 70–75 buddhas take care of, 17 lineage 7 stages bodhimind, 29 training in ultimate, 75 heroe/heroine, 121 quoted, 126 twenty-two bodhicittas, 64 stages. g Ashoka. g bodhimind, 28, 100 vow, 39, g asura. g advantages of, 64 through ritual, 95 Atisha, 29, 68, g and being human, 13 Bodhisattvabhumi (Asanga), 126, advice, 16, 25 and compassion, 39 136, 140, lit and bodhimind, 13, 15 and fear, 21 Bodhisattvacharyavatara and Drom Rinpoche, 78 and five paths, 178 (Shantideva), 44, 159, lit 208 Lam Rim Teachings anger, 115 5 Twelve Links Interdependent different names, 154 bodhimind, 25 Originiation. vol. III experienced by aryas, 164 bodhimind benefits, 14, 15, 18, 6 Bodhisattva Paths and Stages, five points of reasoning, 160–61 19, 21, 22, 68, 157 196 no inherent existence, 155–56 cherishing others, 46, 47 7 Bodhisattva Paths, Stages and subtle, 165 compassion, 79 Practices, 197 desire. g concentration, 138 Chekawa, Geshe, 44, 66, 68, 200 desire realms morality, 103 death of, 86 chart, 194 patience, 118 quoted, 48 determination to be free. g self-cherishing, 44, 45 seven point mind training, 67–95 Devadatta. g suffering, 79 cherishing others, 46–47, 61 Dharma. g wandering mind, 139 chöd, 163, g dharma practice, 51–52 why be unhappy, 80 Chöpa Dharmaraja, 123 signs of development, 121 zhinay and lhagtong, 139 Cittamatra, 13, g dharma protector. g bodies of a buddha. See kayas commitments, 14, g dharmadhatu, 9, 164, g Brahma, 108, g having many, 130 dharmakaya. g and Indra, 17 honoring, 7 Dharmakirti. g breathing meditation. See meditation compassion. g quoted, 83, 121 Buddha. g base, path and result, 42 Dharmarakshita, 68 enlightenment, 108, 147–48 great compassion, 59, 67 dhyana. g enlightenment birth and death, important at all stages, 41–43 diligence, 126–30 106 self as example, 59 benefits, 127 quoted, 147 Compendium of the Perfections, 8 how to develop, 127–30 bodhimind, 17 completion stage. g four powers, 130 emptiness concentration, 100, 143–46, 144, g three types of, 126–27 dependent arising, 164 five obstacles, 145–46 what it is, 126 equal in the beginning, 122 prerequisites, 143–44 doubt, 109 mind continuation, 34 Conqueror. g and emptiness, 148, 182 take care of young contaminated/uncontaminated, 7, 74, and samsaric fabric, 166 bodhisattva, 17 g three types of, 148 who sees the Dharma…, 165 continuation Drepung monastery, 23, g Sakyamuni’s life story, 123 of being, 183–84 Drom Rinpoche, 40 buddha families. g of mind, 34, 56 and bodhimind, 25 buddha nature. g council. See three councils and dharma practice, 51 buddha(s) creator, 161 and leprosy, 78 and Vajrayana teaching, 182 cyclic existence, 59 and Zhangtreng Kaber Chung, 80 how functioning, 171 quoted, 41 Buddhapalita. g Drugpa Kunleg, 44 buddhas D dualistic view, 151 appearing in the world, 123 Dagyab Rinpoche, 51 dullness. g own/future buddha, 17 dakas en dakinis. g buddhist cosmology. g Dalai Lama. g E Buton Rinchen Drub, 24 seventh quoted, 120 ego C death, 98 'I rinpoche', 179 and attachment, 84–85 eight fears, 101 calm abiding, 143–46 and vajrayana practitioners, 86, eight worldly dharmas. g Catuhsataka (Aryadeva). See Four 89 eightfold path, 197, g Hunderd Verses how help others at that time, 172 eleven stages of development causality, 154 lojong way of praying, 87 bodhimind, 63–64 causes and conditions, 160 recommended way to die, 86 emptiness, 100, 135, 151–67, 182, chakras. g dedication. g 183, g, Also see dependent Chandrakirti, 59, 202 degenerated age, 68–69, 121, g existence, selflessness, quoted, 25 delusions, 7, 67, g and doubt, 148 on delusion, 119 reducing, 135 and equanimity, 55 Changeless Nature (Maitreya). lit suppressing, 41 and samadhi, 137 channels. g denial, 180 benefits of contemplating, 148 charts of problems, 120 direct encounter, 136 1 Historical Overview. vol. I dependent arising. g, See dependent how to meditate on I, 153 2 Basis, Path and Result, 198 existence investigating phenomena, 153 3 Desire Realms, 194 dependent existence, 148, 151, 154– levels of seeing, 124–25, 136 4 Form- and Formless Realms, 56, 182 object to be refuted, 151–53 195 causality, 154 of persons, 158–60 dependence upon parts, 155 four keys, 167

Index 209 of phenomena, 124 exchange method of development cessation of suffering, 150–51 seeing path, 140 bodhimind, 60–63 suffering, 149 sevenfold reasoning actual exchange, 47–48, 61–63 four powers to develop diligence, persons, 162 advantages of cherishing others, 130 phenomena, 161–62 46–47, 61 four reliances. g why needed to understand, 166 disadvantages of self-cherishing, four result stages Hinayana, 12, 121 wrong understandings, 152 44–46, 60 four schools of tenets. g enlightenment. g equalizing self-others, 43–44, 60 four ways of birth. g and bodhimind, 10 give and take, 48–49, 63 four ways of ripening others mind, and lucky karma, 82 secret teaching, 29, 60 167, g how see others, 157 excitation or sinking mind, 145 friends no limitation, 35 existence non-virtuous, 76 obstacles to, 24 combination+labeling, 152 future life. See next life of the Buddha, 106, 108, 147 ordinary and extraordinary, 13 what it is not, 8 F G enthusiasm, 130 fear Gampopa. g eon. g and bodhimind, 21 Gandavyuha sutra, 15, See equality, 156–57 and dependent existence, 151 Avatamsaka sutra equalizing self and others, 43–44, and generosity, 101 Ganden Lha Gyema. g 60 and laziness, 129 Ganden Tripa, 22 equanimity, 30–33, 52–55, 110, and self-cherishing, 44 Gelug tradition, 51 173–74, 176, g and tong-len, 73, 177 Gelugpa. g and anger, 32, 173 two fears, 8 Gen Peme Rinpoche, 78 and emptiness, 55 Field of Merit. g generation stage. g and I rinpoche, 110 five basic precepts. g generosity, 101–3 different kinds of, 31 five degenerations, 68–69 and future life, 102 how to develop, 31 five great buddhist meanings, 175 of dharma, 101 how to practice, 53–54 five great subjects. g of fulfilling the needs, 102 limitless, 31 five limitless non-virtues. g of protection from fear, 101 meditation on, 31 five main philosophical texts. g what it is, 101 why needed, 30–31 five paths, 116, 122, 197, g geshe. g eternalism. g Hinayana, 121 ghandharvas. g examples in Vajrayana, 124 ghosts bodhimind five powers of death, 84–87 Pehar, 24 baby garuda, 15 five powers of life, 82–84 give and take, 48–49, 63, 70–74, 175 final fire, 21 five reasonings for dependent and fear, 177 goldmaking elixer, 18 existence, 160–61 begin with yourself, 72 peacocks and poison, 16 five signs of greatness, 90 meditation, 70–71, 73–74, 74 plantain tree, 18 five skandhas, 152, 154, 158–60, g on the breath, 74 qiamond, 15 form- and formless realms gods, 17, g son of a king, 15 chart, 195 gom, 134 compassion formless stages Gom Rim (Kamalashila). See Stages like seed and fertilizer, 59 peak of samsara, 141 of Meditation continuation of being Foundation of All Perfections Gomo Rinpoche, 85, 92, 128 light of d candle, 183 (Tsongkhapa), 7, 99, 100, 112, lit lojong, 67 delusions four actions lojong, 81 passing away, 85 monkey buried, 180 four antidote powers. g gone beyond, 71, 101, 107 emptiness four aspects of suffering, 149, 150– good practitioner, 78 bubble in water, 158 51 Great Treatise on the Stages of the lojong four buddhist seals. g Path to Enlightenment camels, 75 four classes of tantra. g (Tsongkhapa). See Lamrim diamond, sun, medicinal tree, four continents. g Chenmo 68 four form levels/realms, 195 Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of mind four formless levels/realms, 195 Life (Shantideva). See sky, 150 Four Hundred Verses (Aryadeva), Bodhisattvacharyavatara water, 150 119, lit Guide to the Middle Way nirvana four immeasurables. g (Chandrakirti), 25, 42, 59, 169, blown out candle, 7 and equality, 156 202–6, lit obstacles four keys of emptiness, 167 Gungtang Jampelyang. g mountain pass, 79 four levels of samadhi, 146 quoted, 80 relative truth four mindfulnesses. g guru yoga. g Rimpoche's cave, 23 four Noble Truths, 149–51, g guru-devotion, 40, 97 renunciation cause of suffering, 149–50 Gyeltsab Je. g Rolls Royce, 15

210 Lam Rim Teachings H dharmakaya and rupakaya, 158 city of joy, 89 three kayas, 197 commitments, 90–94 habitual pattern, 51–52 Kedrub Je. g five powers of death, 84–87 and bodhimind, 9–10, 30, 48 quoted, 74 five powers of life, 82–84 hearers, 9, 198, g Khamlungpa, 23, 25, 40 five signs of greatness, 90 Heart Sutra. g knowing four actions, 81 Hinayana, 122, g three ways of, 175 give and take, 70–74 four result stages, 12, 121 Kwan Yin, 180 good practitioner, 78 human life. Also see precious human prerequisites, 69–70 life signs of development, 87–90, 177 and bodhimind, 13 L tie rope on your own horn, 76 humbleness, 87 labeling training in relative bodhicitta, 70– hungry ghost. g Rimpoche's cave, 23 75 Lalitavistara sutra, 147 training in ultimate bodhicitta, 75 I Lam Don (Atisha). See Lamp for the who is to blame, 77 Path to Enlightenment love, 39 I. g Lama Chöpa, 43, 76, 82, g love-compassion, 35, 37, 42, 59–60 and my, 149, 156–57 cherishing others, 46 accepting pains, 121 I rinpoche, 110–11 exchange, 47 and ignorance, 116 and the great sages, 111 self-cherishing, 44 seven stages/exchange method, ignorance. g tong-len, 75 43 and love-compassion. Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment lower realms illness (Atisha), 144, lit immune system, 116 and tong-len, 79 Lamrim. g lung. g illusory body. g living dharma, 107 impermanence, 149, 150, 160 overview, 6–8 M and dependent existence, 160 paths and goals, 122–25 and mind, 120 possible weak spots, 97–100 Madhyamakavatara (Chandrakirti). imprint. g, Also see delusions towards Vajrayana, 107–11 See Guide to the Middle Way indestructible drop. g Lamrim Chenmo (Tsongkhapa). lit Madhyamika, 8 Indra, 142, g Lamrim Chungba (Tsongkhapa), Magadha, 111 inherent existence, 152, g 103, 105, 113, 133 mahamudra. g empty of, 152 patience, 114 mahasiddha. g lack of, 158 Lamrim Dudon (Tsongkhapa). lit Mahayana, 122, g initiation. g Also see Song of the Stages or gateway to, 10–14, 43 insight meditation. See lhagtong Lines of Experience practice, 11 Ishvara. g Langri Tangpa, 39, 199 Mahayanasutralamkara (Maitreya), quoted, 39, 47, 70 127, 143, lit Large Sutra of Perfect Wisdom, 103, Maitreya. g J See Prajnaparamita sutra and 7 stages bodhimind, 29, 55 Jambudvipa. g laziness, 128–29, 145 and Asanga, 20–21 Jatakas, 46 disadvantages, 128 and Sudhana, 21 Jewel Heart how to handle, 129 bodhisattva, 73 bodhi-citta, 107 three types of, 128–29 quoted, 127 rotate work, 83 learning thinking meditating, 5, 109, Maitreya sutra, Bodhisattva, 15 Jewel Ornament of Liberation 164, 165 mandala. g (Gampopa). lit Letter to a Friend (Nagarjuna). lit Manjushri, 132, g lhagtong, 146–66, g invisible, 17 vipasyana, 131 teaching Mahayana to monks, 9 K what does it do, 134 mantra. g Kadam tradition, 68 without emptiness, 137 Mara. g and exchange method of without zhinay, 138 Marpa, 111 development bodhimind, 60 Lhatsun Rinpoche, 92, 93 Matricheta, 141–42 Kadampa, 23, 25, 79, g liberation paise of Buddha, 142 quoted, 16, 79, 80 agent of, 171 meditation, 134, 144, g bodhimind, 17 life analytical, 164 illness, 77 continue or go, 85 attitude, 54–55 obstacles, 78 Ling Rinpoche, 14, 92, g concentration, 144–46 Kagyu. g Literature, list of. See vol. II face to face, 164 Kamalashila, 138 Lochö Rinpoche, 41 five obstacles, 145–46 Kanjur. g lojong, 67–95 insight meditation. g karma, 98, g advices, 94 stages Kashyapa, 9 bringing unfavorable conditions peak of samsara, 141 kayas. g into the path, 75–82 zhinay and lhagtong, 133–40

Index 211 meditation guided quoted, 17 opponents of, 113 equanimity, 31 three types of, 113, 118–22 give and take, 70–71, 73–74, 74 welcoming suffering, 119–21 obstacles as help, 77 O what it is, 112 selflessness, 162–63 object to be refuted, 151–53 peacocks and poison, 16 mental abiding. See zhinay how to meditate on I in daily life, peak of samsara, 141, 171 mental pliancy, 134–35 153 Pehar, 24 merit, 17, g Tsongkhapa's advice, 153 perception of I, 150 merit field. See Field of Merit obscurations. g perfections. See paramitas Meru. g obstacles phowa, 84 method. g be more conscious, 79 Potowa, Geshe method and wisdom, 157 can be useful, 77 quoted, 69 Middle Way. g how things become, 75, 76 gear towards Mahayana, 8 Migtsema. g in Vajrayana, 108 practice. See spiritual practice Milarepa, 111, g reminder to practice, 80 Prajnaparamita, 20, 198, g and tonglen, 71 to enlightenment, 24 and Asanga, 21 quoted, 71 to liberation, 24 Prajnaparamita Sutra. g, lit mind omniscience. g pramana, 35 continuation of, 34, 56 ordinary perception and concept, Prasangika. g is heart, 107 109 pratimoksha. g Mönlam Pelwa, 22 outlines, 51 Pratyeka buddha. See solitary morality, 98 overview, 185, 186 realizer and helping others, 179 pratyekabuddha-yana, 198 and vow, 178 Precious Garland (Nagarjuna), 12, benefits of, 105 P lit honoring commitments, 7 Pabongka. g precious human life, 98 how to develop, 105–6 quoted, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 21, 25, previous life, 155, See reincarnation three types of, 104 42, 46, 71, 77, 80, 81 pride, 80 what it is, 103 on tonglen, 71, 72, 73 and suffering, 79 mother beings, 30, 44, 56, 156, 157, Padmasambhava. g divine. g 176 pandit. g of the deity, 109 analogy, 35 paramitas problems motivation, 52 concentration, 130, 143–46 denying, 120 mudra. g diligence, 126–30 Purchok Jampa Rinpoche, 12 generosity, 101–3 pure land. g N patience, 112–22 purification six in every one, 102 recommended days, 106 naga. g training in last two, 133–42 story of Asanga, 20–21 Nagarjuna, 141, g wisdom, 131, 146–66 praise to Buddha, 147 Paramitasamasam, 8 Q quoted, 11 paramitayana, 198 Nalanda, 13, 141, g path of seeing, 125, 140 qualities Naropa, 111, g path(s) hide, 88, 91 nectar. g and stages quotations. Also see Lamrim Dudon negativities chart, 196 anger, 115, 116, 117 and bodhimind, 19–22 basis path result, 157–58 bodhimind, 17, 41 next life. Also see reincarnation five paths, 8, 116 benefits, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, ngöndro, 9, g in three yanas, 122 22, 25 nihilism. g in Vajrayana, 124 human level, 13 nirmanakaya, 124, g Mayahana-Vajrayana, 107 Nagarjuna, 11 nirvana. g stages and practices stir milk, 25 and peak of samsara, 171 chart, 197 Brahma etc blown out candle, 171 two paths, 124, 157 Buddha’s enlightenment, 108 buddha in, 171 vast and profound, 107 Buddha fear of, 8 vast and profound, 110 ‘In the beginning…’, 122 hinayana viewpoint, 7 patience enlightenment, 108, 147 mahayana viewpoint, 7 advantages of having, 114–15 buddhas with/without left-over, 9, 34 and bodhisattvas, 115 out of bodhisattvas, 25 non-virtue. g completion, 113 cherishing others, 46, 47 purifying, 117 continuing dharma practice, 121 compassion, 42 non-virtuous friends, 76 disadvantages of not having, continuation of mind, 34 nothing-ness, 137 115–18 degenerated age, 69 Nyingma. g how to develop, 114–22 delusions Nyugrumpa, Geshe not retaliating, 118–19 Geshe Beng, 82

212 Lam Rim Teachings not the being, 119 samadhi, 108, 131, Also see chart, 194 dharma-practice concentration, zhinay, g six paramitas, 101–66, g I wish you'd do, 51 and emptiness, 137 first four, 101–31 emptiness, 152 and zhinay, 140 last two, 133–67 enlightenment four levels, 146 six in every one, 102 sutra Mahayana, 122 Samantabhadra. g skandhas, 7, 152, 154, 158–60, 162, equality, 43 sambhogakaya. g 165, 167, g high and low, 79, 80 Samdhinirmocana Sutra, 133, 135 Solitary realizer. g impermanence, 120 samsara. g Song of the Stages, 10, 18, 101, 103, Kadampa, 80 faults of, 99 112, 126, 130, 131, 133 love-compassion, 157 samsaric dharma, 116, 179 spiritual development Mahayana, 8 samtän, 131 and behavior, 91 mind Sangha. g spiritual master, 198, g wild elephant, 97 Sarnath, 148 and buddhahood, 47 patience satisfaction, 90 and generosity, 102 benefits, 114 self-cherishing, 39, 44–46, 60, 77, spiritual monster, 125 pride, 80 79, 90, g spiritual practice self-cherishing, 40, 44, 45 and bodhimind, 40 essence of, 51 Vajrayana and self-compassion, 174 habitual pattern, 51 rare, 108 and self-grasping, 45 samsaric/non-samsaric, 179 antidote power, 84 sravaka, 9, g dharma-self-cherishing, 40 sravaka-yana, 198 R self-existence. g Stages of Meditation (Kamalashila), Rahulagupta, 111 self-grasping, 45, g 138, 140, lit Ram Dass selflessness, 137, 139, 149, 161 stories quoted, 7 gross and subtle, 183 bodhimind Ratnavali (Nagarjuna). See Precious helps love-compassion, 166 Asanga’s development, 20–21 Garland meditation on, 162–63 Atisha, 13 realms. g sevenfold reasoning, 162 disciples of, 40 desire. chart 3 sevenfold reasoning, 161–62 Hevajra practitioner, 12 form. chart 4 sentient being. g beggar’s butterlamp, 18 formless, 153, chart 4 Serlingpa, 13, 68 Buddha’s development, 11 three realms, 153 Serlingpa, lama, 29 Drugpa Kunleg, 44 rebirth. g seven limbs of enlightenment, 197 earthquake, 14 refuge, 98, g Seven Point Mind Training essence of practice, 41 reincarnation, 33, 175 (Chekawa), 200–201, Also see food offering, 17 renunciation. g lojong, lit Geshe Chekawa's death, 86 responsibility, 30, 36 seven stages of development Manjushri teaching Rice Seedling Sutra, 165 bodhimind, 30–37, 52–60 Mahayana, 9 Rimpoche's cave, 23 equanimity pre-step, 52–55 Pehar seducing, 24 Rolpai Dorje, Chankya, 12 generating bodhimind, 37 river overflow, 22 root texts love-compassion, 37, 59–60 spirit cannot attack, 23 Foundation of All Perfections. vol. prestep equanimity, 30–33 Tadu Ngu, 22 II recognizing mothers, 33, 55–57 Yamantaka practitioners, 12 Guide to the Middle Way, 202–6 remembering the kindness, 35, 57 Buddha Lamp for the Path to repaying the kindness, 35–37, first five disciples, 147–48 Enlightenment. vol. I 58–59 pulling horse cart, 11 Lamrim - Kurzfassung für die special mind, 37, 60 debate Praxis. vol. II sevenfold reasoning Matricheta, 141–42 Lines of Experience. vol. II persons, 162 emptiness Odyssey to Freedom. vol. II phenomena, 161–62 Ajatashatru’s dress, 17 Rice Seedling Sutra. vol. III shamatha. See zhinay invisible Manjushri, 17 Seeking Inspiration to Realize the Shantideva, 38, Also see guru-devotion Stages of the Lamrim. vol. II Bodhisattvacharyavatara, g cleaning with blood, 123 Seven Point Mind Training, 200– lineage exchange method love-compassion 201 bodhimind, 29 Atisha and Tibetans, 39 Thought Transformation in Eight Sharawa, 39 patience Stanzas, 199 shastra. g Atisha's insulting friend, 180 Three Principles of the Path. vol. II Sherab Senge. g self shin jang, 134 own dirt only, 149 shunyata, 185 self-scherishing S siddha. g Drugpa Kunleg, 45 Sakya. g siddhi, 142, g spirits Sakyamuni. g, See Buddha sinking mind or excitation, 145 Rimpoche's cave, 23 six desire realms stupa. g

Index 213 subject and object Tripitaka. g Vajrayogini. g arya level, 164 Tsimera, 88 Vasubandhu. g Sudhana, 21 Tsongkhapa. g vegetable level, 8 suffering, 149 death anniversary, 106 Vikramashila, 13, g blessing in disguise, 119 eleventh buddha, 123 Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra, 9, lit in different realms, 69–70 on meditation, 48 vinaya. g welcoming, 119–21 on zhinay first, 140 vipasyana. See lhagtong Suhrllekha (Nagarjuna). See Letter quoted, 140 virtue to a Friend on bodhimind, 18 destroying, 116 sutra. g on emptiness, 152 visualization. g Sutra of the White Lotus. lit on Mahayana, 11 vows, 98 Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish. lit on morality, 106 benefit of, 104 sutrayana, 198 on selflessness, 139 bodhisattva vow on zhi-lhag, 133, 136, 138 through ritual, 95 on zhinay first, 139 lay people, 104 T title, 29 monks and nuns, 104 Tadu Ngu, 22, 123 visions, 87 two categories, 104 tantra. g tulku, 124 what it is, 103 Tara, 142, g Tushita, 78, g practice, 101 twelve principle events. g W Tathagata. g twenty-two bodhicittas, 64, g ten bodhisattva stages. g two accumulations, 24, g Wesach day, 106 ten directions. g two collections, 18 Wheel of Sharp Weapons ten non-virtues. g two fears, 8 (Dharmarakshita), 16, lit ten paramitas, 101 two kayas, 158, 198 wisdom, 124, 146–66, g Thabkye, Geshe Yeshi, 146 two kinds of emptiness, 121 and method, 157 Theravada. g two obstructions, 24 when to present, 125 thirty-seven practices, 197, g two paths, 157, 198 wisdom being. g Thonden Rinpoche, 23 two selflesses. g Thought Transformation in Eight two truths, 157, 198, g Stanzas Langri Tangpa), 199 Y three higher trainings, 182, g U yaksha. g three kayas, 197 Yamantaka. g three opponents of patience, 113 ultimate stage yanas, 198 three poisons, 74, g three or one, 8 three yanas, 122 Three Principles of the Path ushnisha. g yidam. g (Tsongkhapa). lit Uttara Tantra (Maitreya). See yongdzin. g three realms. g Changeless Nature yönten, 46 three types of diligence, 126–27 three types of generosity, 101 three types of morality, 104 V Z three types of patience, 113, 118–22 Vajradhara. g Zhang, Lama, 24 three ways of investigating vajra-master. g Zhangtreng Kaber Chung, 80 phenomena, 153 Vajrapani. g zhi-lhag, 133 three yanas, 122 Vajrasattva, 139, g zhinay, 143–46, g Tilopa, 111 Vajrayana, 7, 198 and samadhi stages, 140 time, 161 achieving buddha stage, 124 how to move after, 146 Togme Zangpo, 24 and Atisha, 12 on what, 138 tong-len, 79, See give and take five paths, 124 what does it do, 134 Treasury of Metaphisics foundation for, 109 zhinay and lhagtong (Vasubandhu). See obstacles in practice, 108 actual recognition, 135 Abhidharmakosha practitioners basis of meditational practice, Treatise of the Middle Way, 147 and death, 86 135 Trijang Rinpoche, 14, 85, 88, g producing ghost, 12 order of development, 139–41 and love-compassion, 125 three buddhas only, 123 what do they do, 134–35 and Tsimera, 88 two stages. g why need both, 137–39 quoted, 51 vow, 86, 98

214 Lam Rim Teachings

GEHLEK RIMPOCHE

Born in Lhasa, Tibet, Kyabje Gehlek Rimpoche was recognized as an incarnate lama at the age of four. Carefully tutored by Tibet’s greatest living masters, he received specialized individual teaching at Dre- pung Monastery, the nation’s largest monastery. In 1959, Gehlek Rimpoche was among those forced into exile, fleeing the Communist Chinese who had occupied Tibet since 1951. While in India, Rimpoche as a member of a group of sixteen monks, was chosen to continue specific studies with the great masters who had escaped Tibet, including the Dalai Lama’s personal tutors. At the age of twenty-five, Rimpoche gave up monastic life. In the mid-70’s, Gehlek Rimpoche was en- couraged by his teachers to begin teaching in English. Since that time he has gained a large following throughout the world. Coming to the U.S. in the mid- 80’s, Rimpoche later moved to Ann Arbor, MI and in 1987 founded Jewel Heart, an organization dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan culture and Buddhism. Today, Jewel Heart has chapters throughout the U.S. and in Malaysia, Singapore and the Netherlands. A member of the last generation of lamas to be born and fully educated in Tibet, Gehlek Rimpoche is particularly distinguished for his understanding of con- temporary society and his skill as a teacher of Bud- dhism in the West. He is now an American citizen. Gehlek Rimpoche’s first book, the national bestseller, Good Life, Good Death, was published in 2001.

216

JEWEL HEART

Jewel Heart is an educational and cultural center whose doors are open to all. Its purpose is to transmit the essence of Tibetan Bud- dhism in an authentic and accessible form. Jewel Heart provides guidance and practical methods to anyone interested in spiritual development, as well as to those who wish to follow the traditional Buddhist path.

The name Jewel Heart was chosen to represent the organization because the heart is the essence of the human being, and the jewel something of great value – considered precious. Through embracing the preciousness of our life and developing our qualities, inner peace will grow, and our actions will be influenced by compassionate concern for others. It is to this end that Jewel Heart dedicated its efforts.

The Jewel heart logo contains three graphic elements: the spinning jewel wheel, the lotus, and the flame. The central wheel symbolizes the three jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The Buddha represents our potential for enlightenment. The Dharma is the spiritual development within each individual. The Sangha is the community of those individuals, who have developed wisdom, act as guides. In nature, the lotus rises from the mud, yet remains pure. Similarly, we are capable of rising above ordinary conceptions and putting love and compassion into action in daily life. The flame that surrounds the jewel wheel represents the fire of wisdom, consuming all obstacles and bringing insight.

JEWEL HEART Head Office: 207 East Washington Street, Ann Arbor MI 48104, USA. Tel. (1) 313 994 3387 Fax: (1) 313 994 5577. Homepage: jewelheart.org

JEWEL HEART Chapters are to be found: • In USA in Ann Arbor, Chicago, Cleveland OH, Lincoln NE, New York, and San Francisco. • In The Netherlands in Nijmegen, Den Bosch, Tilburg, Arnhem and Utrecht. • In Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Gerik and Panang, and in Muar. • In Singapore.

JEWEL HEART P.O BOX 7933 ANN ARBOR, MI 48107 www.jewelheart.org