MAY 2003 A NEWSLETTER OF SIDDHARTHA’S INTENT IN THIS ISSUE • THE VAST ATTITUDE OF BODHICITTA • PARINIRVANA OF CHAGDUD RINPOCHE • KHANDRO LHAMO • INTERVIEW WITH CHANGLING RINPOCHE THE VAST ATTITUDE OF BODHICITTA DZONGSAR KHYENTSE RINPOCHE Photo Jerry Epps Puja at Vajradhara Gonpa, March 2003 As I must have told you a hundred million times if you To use the analogy of bushland, many of us are not good are practising ngöndro, The Words of My Perfect Teacher at having a really long walk in the bush. Then again, I is the best accompanying text. Though I have read this think there are some who, even without being familiar book so many times, I still find there are many things in with a particular bushland, know how to sort of get it to read. And it’s very easy to understand. That’s how around. It is like being an alchemist and having a certain Patrul Rinpoche taught. He actually tried to write things method that can turn iron into gold. It could be a very in a very simple language. He used common examples simple method, like that of a practised mechanic, for relating to Tibetan culture such as nomads. And though, instance. Let’s say you have a problem with your car and at times, some of the examples can be quite obscure for you try to fix it in all kinds of ways. But then along comes some of us, still, I haven’t seen a book that’s as far- this really experienced mechanic who has this certain sighted as this one. It really deals with everything, and something that acts as a catalyst; perhaps with just one remains really up to date. And the part where he is sort wire they can fix your car and everything is alright. of ruthlessly sarcastic about teachers is something very, very timely. Anyway, Patrul Rinpoche talks about two attitudes. It is just incredible the way he presents things. It’s so simple This book alone should be like a guardian of Vajrayana and so kind of ordinary that it almost gets lost in the Buddhism. It exemplifies how to read a master, how to midst of these pages. But he has written about this judge a master and how to judge a practitioner. Of course, catalyst, the vast attitude of bodhicitta and the vast skilful every page is very important and, although you can’t means, the attitude of the secret Mantrayana. really leave anything out, in our minds we tend to divide like that. We think, ‘This or that is more important.’ So The vast attitude of bodhicitta is something he some of the more important and crucial instructions I will emphasises right from the beginning. Generally, when extract. we look at the situation, we think that uprooting ignorance - getting rid of this attachment to the self, of 2 - Gentle Voice these seemingly infinite emotions, habitual patterns, Not only actions such as prostrations or chanting inhibitions, and achieving so-called enlightenment, mantras, but even a mundane but probably good deed becoming an omniscient being, becoming an omnipotent such as sweeping the floor of a temple, cleaning the toilet being - these things seem beyond our reach. It’s almost of a monastery, dharma centre, hospital or lunatic asylum, unachievable. Let’s forget about all the emotions, just one or saving the environment - all the things that modern emotion, one single habitual pattern or a single hang-up - people are kind of inspired to do these days - begin that alone takes years to get rid of! everything with bodhicitta. (Like with saving the environment, some of us even try to refuse this Here we are talking about getting rid of thousands and polystyrene container, which they serve in McDonalds.) millions of infinite emotions and habitual patterns. Just having one enlightened quality, how difficult is that? Or You perhaps feel alone, trying to save the environment. simply having one good quality, just being a loving and Millions and millions of people are not doing it. In this kind person, this really takes a long time to achieve. So sense, it is almost painful. But why are you in pain? You enlightenment within this life or enlightenment within are doing it without the bodhicitta attitude. You actually the next life, all this is like wishful thinking. There is the believe in it in a very rigid way. Lacking this idea of whole common vehicle where the path invokes us to sentient beings, you are doing this in a very rigid way. renounce home, belongings and possessions and directs You believe in a certain philosophy, some kind of us to try to get rid of attachment to all kinds of things, ideology - that’s why you are doing it. but this is difficult to achieve. I’m not denigrating saving the environment. What I am It’s like you are a traveller, a bush-walker in this case, one saying is, as we begin this action, whether it be refusing with no map and no experience. The only thing you have to use polystyrene or whatever, this should be is this urge to go from here to there and the only thing accompanied by bodhicitta, ‘I will not go to McDonalds that you want is to get out of this lost situation. That’s all for the sake of all sentient beings.’ And while you do this you have. But actually, even that is something that most - again this is so important - that action should be deluded beings don’t have. They almost give up. They accompanied by bodhicitta mind. What does that do? For think, ‘I might as well make my home in the bush.’ But so many of the so-called environmentalists, vegetarians for some of us, we sense that perhaps there is a path, and so forth, since they don’t do it with bodhicitta, they maybe there is a way out. But then we go around and have this pride. It becomes an idea for them. They are around and around. And when we go around too much, fixated towards this. They look down on people who are we begin to lose our courage and our inspiration because not doing it, and it actually becomes a painful process for the path is too long; the path is too long-winded. There’s them. so much hardship, and there are so many good, desirable things to give up. For us enlightenment is only an idea at Whereas when this action is accompanied by bodhicitta the moment. At times, when we do intensive meditation, while you are doing it, then not only does it bring relative as a post-meditation reaction we have some kind of bodhicitta, but eventually it also leads to ultimate blissful situation, but that doesn’t last long. bodhicitta. You realise that, after all, this is just your own mind. This is only your idea. This is your mind. This is So because of all this, what we need is a kind of catalyst, your fixation. This is a certain path that you are inspired something that these alchemists have. We need something by now. You can see this by judging your own life. From very simple that will make the path right, something that when you were young until now, how many times have will make the path easy, achievable, and something that you changed your ideology? These days, in your mind, will bypass all these difficulties. And that is the vast macrobiotic food may be the latest fashion, but how long attitude of bodhicitta and the vast skilful means, the will that last? All it takes is someone whom you trust, on attitude of the secret Mantrayana. a certain day and at a certain time. Should this person tell you, ‘Actually you should eat egg because if you only eat And this is something we usually lack. If you have this a macrobiotic diet, you might have hair growing from vast attitude of bodhicitta, for example, then before doing your eyes or something.’ Overnight you will change that a so-called virtuous act like prostrations it is a matter of attachment. This again shows a lack of bodhicitta. having this attitude, ‘I will do this, not for myself, but for the sake of all sentient beings.’ See, it takes care of it. Why At the end of the action, be it prostrations or cleaning the are you so frustrated on the path? It is because you are toilet, whatever, if you have that bodhicitta again, that’s doing it for yourself. In a strange way you are already the dedication. So what does this do? A person who has frustrated right from the beginning, but if you are doing bodhicitta is like an alchemist - every action is sprinkled it for the sake of all sentient beings, there is no with this bodhicitta powder and everything becomes the frustration. You are doing it for all sentient beings, not for bodhisattva path. That is what Patrul Rinpoche is saying yourself. and that is something really important not to miss. Loss of inspiration or loss of diligence has no room to Cover photo: Sonam Kinga as the monk in Travellers and enter if you really, really do it for the sake of sentient Magicians, in front of an image of Guru Rinpoche painted on a beings. In fact, if you really manage to have that within rock face (photo by Rasa; copyright PFP 2003) you, diligence and inspiration grow and you will almost feel quite responsible. Gentle Voice - 3 P ARINIRVANA OF CHAGDUD RINPOCHE physical effort, but they remained opaque to us.