Teachings at Amitabha and White Tara Initiations and Retreat (Audio and Unedited Transcripts)

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Shakyamuni Center, Taichung, Taiwan (Archive #1604)

Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave these teachings during Amitabha and White Tara initiations and a White Tara retreat at Shakyamuni Center, Taichung, Taiwan, February 18-21, 2007. The teachings include lung  (oral transmission) of the Amitayus mantra and the long-life sutra. 

Please note: the teaching was being translated into Chinese and while we have edited those sections out, you may still occasionally hear the Chinese interpreter's voice in the background. 

Refuge Practice

Haven’t mention the object, how to visualize the refuge merit field. So, there can be different ways according to how you like. It’s called in Tibetan ?kun tu nor wo luk, the all-encompassing jewel tradition. One aspect, all the refuge merit field, all the objects of refuge, merit field, guru, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, everything into one aspect.

So that in the presence of oneself, above the ground, the same height as the forehead there, distance when you do prostration, like that distance between you and then the golden throne, beautifully decorated with jewels and raised by the eight snow lions. Then the, all this which signifies the qualities of the Buddha. Then this, above this, a lotus and the moon, the sun-moon disc, the lotus, sun, moon disc.

Then, one’s own root guru in the aspect of founder of the present Buddhadharma, Shakyamuni Buddha, so that’s all the guru, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. What you normally visualize, elaborate object of merit field, all that is into one aspect. What the elaborate visualization of object of refuge, all that, guru, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, all that, the direct, [a few words inaudible] then Shakyamuni Buddha, then you have the lineage lamas there of the extensive graduate path and then the profound graduate path, so all the lineage lamas of that and the lineage lamas of blessings of the practice, then all the direct gurus, then deities, the four classes of tantric deities, four tantric classes of deities around, then the one thousand buddhas of fortunate eon, so forth, then bodhisattvas, the arhats, including the Sixteen Arhats, then bodhisattvas, the seven bodhisattvas so forth, then all the daka-dakinis, Dharma protectors, all those elaborate object of refuge, visualization, what is visualized, all into one aspect. So then that’s one way, that’s called ?kun tu nor wo, the all-encompassing jewel tradition.

The other one is, as you see in some thangkas, pictures, that without the milk ocean, in the Guru Puja merit field there’s a milk ocean, so without that, then all the rest, the throne, then above this there’s five thrones, in the center, the root guru Shakyamuni Buddha, then back side the Vajradhara then the right side, Maitreya, the left side there’s Manjushri. Then in the front, the root guru. So then the Vajradhara then surrounded by the lineage lamas of the blessing, then the Maitreya Buddha surrounded by the Asanga and so forth, those great pandits, the lineage lamas of the graduate extensive path. Then the Manjushri surrounded by all those great, Nagarjuna and so forth, those great pandits of the graduate profound path. Then, around the root guru, so there’s the other gurus, direct gurus. The root guru in the aspect how one normally sees, except if it’s blind or lame or some like that, that you cannot visualize that way, you have to visualize with the perfect holy body, organs.

So anyway, I’m not going to go through details. As explained in the Jorchö commentary, just give rough, not going into details. So in one Jorchö commentary, it describes how each lama they sit, the lineage lamas, their position, their mudras or positions. Those are, why it comes like that, those are, what I heard was, how the lama normally sits, sitting position, so seems sort of, then use that also in the meditation, in the ?puja, like in the painting. That’s what I heard, maybe Kyabje Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche, I think. So and I think Rinpoche might have used that Kyabje Khunu Lama Rinpoche, this great bodhisattva from whom His Holiness received extensive commentary on Bodhicaryavatara and also, I think, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s guru, His Holiness Ling Rinpoche like that also studied some, the Sanskrit, how the letters are formed, the formation of the letters, sound, those things, studied. However, Kyabje Khunu Lama Rinpoche, he always, he often used to sit like this, like that, like this, with the knees up like this. Not public teaching but in the room, so I think His Holiness Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche used the example like that.

So however, yeah, like that. Then the four tantric deities, maha-anuttara tantric deities, Guhyasamaja, Yamantaka, Chakrasamvara, the Kalachakra, those, the maha-anuttara tantric deities on those petals.

Then, the next the anuttara tantra deities, then the next one is charya tantra deities and kriya tantra deities. And then, so one each petal, the level of petals.

So then there’s the thousand buddhas of fortunate eon on the next level of the lotus petal. Then the other one is, next level of petal the bodhisattvas; the next level of petals, the arhats; the next level of petals, daka-dakinis; the next level of petals the Dharma protectors.

Then there’s also, all these are on the golden throne. Then there outside of that there’s the four guardians, in each direction.

So anyway, conclusion, there are detailed explanations, how they sit, all facing to the root guru, Shakyamuni Buddha, everything. However, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, one time I asked and His Holiness said that doesn’t matter so much. The main thing, you visualize whatever is more comfortable, so visualize that. So His Holiness ?usually explain that.

However, so that’s the elaborate visualization of, sorry, I left out one thing. I left out a very important group there, Kadampa geshes. Then after the lineage lamas of the Indian pandits, the Six Ornaments and so forth, the lineage lamas of the graduate extensive path and the profound path, then there’s the three groups. I don’t remember now. In the center group, the Kadam Shungpawa, the group that, then the right side and left side I have to check, the Kadam Mengakpa, the group there, the Kadam, the Instructions. Not instructions itself but Kadam Shungpawa means there’s Potowa in the center and then the, by studying the extensive philosophy, Buddha’s teachings, then achieve enlightenment. Then there’s Lam-rimpa, could be the right, the left side, other side of that maybe, so one who, by studying the integration of the whole entire teaching, the lam-rim, so then by putting into practice, achieve enlightenment. Then the other side, the right side by be Mengakpa, receiving teachings from the guru verbally, those instructions then put in practice and then achieve enlightenment.

Did not remember the two other names there, they’re in the lineage lamas prayer, there.

So when His Holiness Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche explained according to Jorchö commentary then, all those, the Maitreya Buddha, Manjushri, then all the other Indian pandits, then in front there’s the three Kadampa groups all facing towards the guru, root guru. So in the front of them, so there’s Maitreya, Indian pandits, all this, then in the front of them there’s the three Kadampa groups, then Manjushri, Indian pandits, then in the front, three Kadampa groups, so all facing towards the root guru. So like that, that’s how Rinpoche used to explain, so from back side Vajradhara, then all the lineage lamas of the blessing. So from the root guru, from the front, then all the gurus are lined from that.

So anyway, basically what His Holiness said was that one choose one, whatever is more comfortable. His Holiness didn’t think that’s a big matter.

So however, also His Holiness mentioned that, you know, you can take refuge all the ten directions, buddhas are everywhere, ten directions, no specific place, one can also do that, buddhas, bodhisattvas, His Holiness also mentioned like that in regards visualizing the object of refuge.

Yeah, okay, so, yeah. So that’s about it.

Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen, Khunu….

Otherwise, if you know the story then the lama’s name is something else. Somebody else’s story it becomes.

His Holiness Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche, from whom I received many teachings, many initiations, who’s also His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s guru, Rinpoche when he’d give commentaries on Jorchö, the six preparatory practices, the preliminary for lam-rim, so Rinpoche used to say, Even the dob-dobs, I mentioned about Geshe Jampa Wangdu, last night, so even the dob-dobs in the monasteries in Tibet, Sera, Ganden, Drepung, so Rinpoche used to say, because they’re still monks, so therefore you visualize even them, even those dob-dobs. According to their, their style of life in the monastery, they do not follow the monastery rules or the, they do competitions, they serve food or tea to the monks, this is what I heard, then so do many kind of many things as competition or fight or whatever, so Rinpoche said even those you have to visualize in the merit field, which is namo sanghaya, I go for refuge to the Sangha. So even, I mean, what Rinpoche said, the reason Rinpoche, why he brought the dob-dobs during the explanation of the refuge, the visualizing the refuge merit field, why he brought the dob-dobs because normally, according to the lifestyle what, so something that you don’t, I guess, normal people, normally, I guess sort of, I guess people who don’t practice I guess maybe don’t respect, so that’s why Rinpoche brought even dob-dobs must visualize there, because namo sanghaya, go for refuge to the Sangha.

Also, in the Liberation in Your Hand, there by Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo quoted during the refuge explanation, Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo quoted to his guru, his root guru, Dakpo Jampel Lhundrup, I think, so anyway, from whom he received lam-rim teaching, so there mentioned that, so if you criticize to all the Sanghas, you are in the line of the Sanghas but is telling to the monk, but we have to understand even lay have to understand from that, so you are in the line of the Sanghas, doing puja, like that, then you criticize, Oh, that monk does such and such, has this, that this has such-and-such mistake, that monk has such-and-such a mistake, this monk has such-and-such mistakes, so you talk, you chat in the puja, telling the monks who are in the line what problems, what mistakes they have. So then at the end then what conclusion what happens is then, then in that case these are not the monks that you go for refuge and then you have to make a particular refuge prayer, I take refuge except these monks. So these monks I don’t take refuge but I take refuge, I don’t take refuge to these monks. I take refuge except these monks, so then you would have to say like this, in the refuge, gedun la kyab su chi wo, I go for refuge to Sangha.

So then also I think mentioned then everybody you see some mistake, then who has no mistakes is yourself. So then , so the best one is yourself. So anyway…..

So that probably you may not know that, maybe not have received detailed teachings on the lam-rim, so yeah, one hasn’t received. So when we take refuge, gedun la kyab su chi wo, that includes all the Sangha, that you can see in Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand and also His Holiness Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche used to explain like that.

So in our life, when we see a Sangha, whether it’s a Theravadin or any tradition, but Buddhist Sangha, whether Theravadin or any other tradition, Buddhist Sangha, Chinese or Tibetan or any Buddhist Sangha, so must think, by taking refuge to the Sangha what you should practice is that any Sangha that you, yeah, so any Sangha means Buddhist Sangha, any tradition, so wearing whatever different tradition of robes, so then can respect, must respect and think, This is my the precious Sangha who saves me from samsara, who protects me from samsara. So, by thinking that, then one respect.

For example, Lama Yeshe he sees a monk, even though Lama heard, even though he is aware, he heard complaints from other people what mistake the monk did in the vows, even though Lama heard but when he actually meets that monk in the road he respect. Even though he heard other people complained, that Tibetan monk, so when he actually meet in the road, he respect. So those are great practice.

Yeah, so, then you collect a lot of merit by respecting Sangha, a lot of merit. Then, this way, by practicing this way, the refuge, by taking refuge there’s a refuge vow, by taking refuge to Sangha there’s a refuge vow what to practice, what to be abandoned, so this is what is to be practiced. So this way then you don’t, it stops many heavy negative karmas the criticizing Sangha or disrespect Sangha, the obstacle for your attainment. Not only attainment but including, so it becomes obstacle to achieve even the happiness of this life, happiness while you’re in samsara, future life happiness and things like that. So, it prevents all those problems, yeah, not only the attainment, how to say, you don’t create obstacle for attainment.

And also Sangha’s side, Sangha has, others including Sangha and the lay have responsibility to do this practice, this your own practice, it is your own practice, for liberation, enlightenment. But then also Sangha’s side, also one need to feel responsibility to help others’ minds, to protect others’ minds, rising negative thoughts, so also responsible to protect them, to protect their mind, them to not engage in negative karma, you are responsible. So have to think about, so much of the vinaya practice there are so many to do, many are to do with the others’ minds, to protect, others to not create negative karma, to not lose devotion, faith, things like that. There are many things. Like for example, manners of the Sangha, bhikshus, the way of sitting or, I mean, physical positions like for example, stretching legs, in the public, I mean, so forth, I’m using as example, something that which makes to lose faith or harms others’ minds or something like that. So, and so forth, I mean that’s not the only thing, there are many others.

So, then what should be abandoned that is, not only disrespect to the Sangha, the criticize or, with negative thoughts, like that, which becomes heavy karma because who are living in higher ordination then living in the ordination of thirty-six vows, higher than lay, then create more negative karma. Then, 253 or so those then the bhikshus, bhikshunis, those more than 300 vows, so anyway, higher vows, if others respect, make offerings and respect create more merit and then others disrespect or criticize or whatever then more heavy negative karma.

So however what one should abandon, no what one should respect that and then what I mentioned before and then also if you see in the road yellow or red pieces of robes, not only, of course one respect the robes, the seat cover, the monk’s cover, the dingwa and robes, so one don’t step over, so one has to respect. Not only that even pieces of robes you see in the road, Sangha’s robes pieces in the road, then Kadampa geshes they practice they put, they respect to that, they put in a high, clean place, thinking of the qualities of the Sangha, then put higher, clean place, those pieces of robes of the Sangha that you see in the road. In the monasteries like that, where the Sanghas are. So respect, mentioned like that. So this is what Kadampa geshes they practiced.

Then, what one should abandon is following the wrong guide, so who, Sangha guide you to practice morality and inspire, help, to actualize the actual refuge, Dharma, within you, the cessation of the sufferings, the defilement, true path, all this, to actualize within you the actual refuge, then Sangha help you for that. Then the wrong guide who does opposite, instead of guiding, helping for that, who misguide, who gives you wrong views, lead in the wrong practice, however, wrong views, which interferes the Sangha to guide you, Sangha to help. Then in that way, you follow the wrong guide who does that, who misguides you, then the Sangha cannot help you. So for example, if you follow the wrong doctor, who gives you the wrong diagnosis and wrong medicine, then the wise doctor, who is wise in diagnosing or wise in giving medicine, correct medicine, cannot guide you.

So this is just a side-talk happened from talking about the refuge. So just some little extension from, yeah, from the taking refuge to Sangha.

Okay, so maybe…. I just do this prayer then we stop there.

[Rinpoche recites in Tibetan.]

“Myself and transmigratory beings, all sentient beings, who are equaling the sky, equaling the limit of the sky, from this time, so the meaning can be from this second, from this moment, second, from this time until, go for refuge to the glorified holy gurus until the heart of enlightenment is achieved.”

So that’s the first prayer, going for refuge to the gurus.

Then next, [Tibetan] Go for refuge the fully completed Buddha Bhagawan, can be made, can be said like that. If we translate Tibetan word by word then, I go for refuge to the fully completed, should be said, fully eliminated and developed destroyer qualified gone beyond. So that’s if you translate word by word, perhaps maybe more simple that fully completed Buddha Bhagawan, maybe that’s more simple. Chom den de in Sanskrit, Bhagawan, then go for refuge to the holy Dharmas, go for refuge to the exalted Sanghas. Not exotic, exalted Sanghas. Exalted Sangha, so arya Sangha, it means that.

So recite this three or seven, so forth. At the end, I prostrate, maybe put it this way, to the guru and the three precious rare sublime ones, I prostrate, go for refuge. You, please bless my mental continuum.

So then one is generating bodhicitta.

So when you recite, when you’re taking refuge to guru, recite this prayer, then that time, white nectar, it is said also five-colored nectar but white stronger, then when you visualize achieving realizations, yellow nectar stronger, so it’s mentioned like that. However, white nectar emitted, then purified all the negative karma, defilements collected with the, broke samaya with guru, all those, from beginningless rebirth up to now completely purified, harmed the holy body, broke the advice, disturbed the holy mind, and non-devotional thought to the guru arising. So basically these, so what is to be purified is that.

And received, then with the yellow light you can think, when you take refuge to the guru that time mind taking refuge to the guru, relying upon the guru, mind that which is taking refuge to the guru, relying upon the guru, it should be the guru devotion, guru devotion seeing the guru and buddha, one, opposite to the non-devotional thought which sees the guru and buddha separate, as separate being.

So when you go for refuge to the guru should be done with the mind of, the guru devotional mind, guru devotion, that the guru that you visualized there, visualized the guru, buddha, that they are one, like one being, one mind.

For example with the flour you make noodles, different shapes, it’s flour. You make momos, it’s flour. You make bread, flour. It can be many, it can be billions of different shapes but it’s flour. So like that, even though they have different names. Due to different designs they have different names, but it’s all made of flour. So, how many gurus there is, every single guru is all the buddhas and each buddha, each deity, is all the gurus. So how many gurus there is, hundreds, thousands, however, different style or different ways of guiding, different methods, however, that’s all buddha. It’s like all these different foods, different but it’s all flour.

Then, with that mind, then think received all the buddha’s qualities, then it’s easy to think, I have received the blessings, qualities of the guru’s holy body, holy speech, holy mind within oneself, that’s easy to think. With that guru devotion mind, with that one easy to think. Otherwise, with the ordinary mind, non-devotional thought then even it’s difficult to say the prayer, receive these blessings, qualities, difficult to say and in the mind, in the heart you don’t think that because it’s ordinary being, so you wouldn’t, yeah, so difficult to think receiving quality, blessing. But with the guru devotion mind then it’s easy to do this meditation, this prayer, receiving the blessing, the qualities of the guru’s holy body, holy speech, holy mind within oneself.

So the next one, I’m not going to go in details, just the sort of essence. Then whatever negative karma is collected with the Buddha from beginningless rebirth, purified. Arising heresy to Buddha, yeah, those then disrespect to the Buddha statues, even the holy, all those as mentioned in the lam-rim, all those collected from beginningless rebirth, purified, the disrespect, those.

Then go for refuge to Dharma, then what is purified is the very heavy negative karma, avoiding holy Dharma. Then the criticized the Buddha’s teachings, Lesser Vehicle teachings, reasoning that one is practicing Mahayana, one is a Mahayanist or one is a Vajrayanist, then criticizing the Theravadin teachings. Then Theravadins being, then from their side they think, because they themselves didn’t analyze, didn’t check, so lack of understanding then criticizing the Mahayana Paramitayana teachings not Buddha’s teachings. Similar the practitioners of Paramitayana that, for example, here even in Taiwan, those who understand the Vajrayana teaching is taught by Buddha, there is Vajrayana teaching taught by Buddha, it came from Buddha, those who accept, who know, then they think any problem happens it’s that individual person’s mistake, it’s not the mistake of the teaching, so they understand. But then, however, so here even among the Chinese masters, who don’t know, they think that Vajrayana teaching is not taught by Buddha, not Buddha’s teaching. Think that, look at it wrong, mistaken, because of lack of understanding, didn’t make research, from their side didn’t make research, didn’t check all the history whether Buddha has taught or not, all the history, all the texts didn’t check. ?Or ask the, like His Holiness or the great masters, Tibetan great masters, lamas or geshes or great masters, didn’t get to check with them, check references, when it happened, where it happened, all these different tantric teachings, like Yamantaka, Chakrasamvara, Guhyasamaja, all these, Kalachakra, all these initiations and teachings, where it happened, which time it happened, who requested, so and all these are Buddha’s manifestations, so didn’t research, didn’t get to check, so then doesn’t know, so then criticize. So all this, criticize Vajrayana teachings, so however, so then those thinking, I am Mahayanist or Vajrayanist then criticize Theravadins or criticize the Paramitayana teachings, by thinking, I’m Vajrayanist then criticizing Paramitayana teachings, so sutra teachings, saying something, That is to be abandoned, because I’m Vajrayanist, practicing Vajrayana, so sutra teachings should be abandoned, something like it doesn’t have much value, sort of like that, criticizing.

So however, those unbelievable heavy negative karma one create from Theravadins who criticize like this the Mahayana teachings then the Mahayanists, those who practice Mahayana teachings criticizing Theravadins or the, who are practicing Paramitayana criticizing Vajrayana and Vajrayana, who think, I’m Vajrayanist, by practicing Vajrayana, then criticize the sutra teachings or things like that. So, create the very heavy negative karma, so which Lama Tsongkhapa mentioned at the beginning of the lam-rim, the four advantages, when it talks about the four advantages of studying lam-rim, understanding lam-rim. The first one is understanding all the teachings of Buddha there’s no contradictory each other, all these three levels of teachings. [Tibetan] Then the special advantage that, second, all the teachings of Buddha, taught by Buddha, all these, Lesser Vehicle, Paramitayana, Mahayana Paramitayana then sutra, then tantra, all these that you understand every single word is instruction for one person to achieve enlightenment. Not contradictory, first one is no contradictory, then second one is everything appears instruction for one person to achieve enlightenment. Then [Tibetan] that by understanding lam-rim that you understand instantly the views of the Buddha. Then the, so views of Buddha, I’m not sure whether there’s other, however, the emptiness, the Prasangika school view of emptiness. Then, fourth one, so here what I’m trying, the fourth one, [Tibetan] the special advantage that prevents heavy negative karma, heavy vices or heavy negative karma, so by understanding lam-rim, so here, so therefore here it’s like avoiding Dharma, this very heavy, so such as these things. You know so you don’t criticize all those teachings like that, and then everything is instruction for one person, for oneself to achieve enlightenment, all that thing, then Buddha’s ultimate view, one understand.

So however, so as Kyabje Chöden Rinpoche explained, at the LMB when Rinpoche was teaching the Lam-rim Chen-mo, so it sounds like having destroyed all the stupas, all the stupas in this world, but actually, Tibetan word is chöten, so it’s the same name for the stupa, so chöten, chö is offering, ten is holy object, all the objects of offerings, chö ?pai ten, so to make it short, chöten, offering, anyway, object of offerings, so of, the word “of” is cut then it becomes short, chöten. So here, it’s not just stupa, it’s very single statue, scripture, stupa, every single holy object exists in holy places, in monasteries, wherever, so having destroyed completely every single that exists in the world, statues, stupas, scripture, any object of offering that completely destroyed, this karma, avoiding holy Dharma is heavier than that.

Avoiding holy Dharma here, as I mentioned before, criticizing all those Buddha’s teachings, so while it’s something, a teaching that taught by Buddha, so like the teachings of the four schools, however, so which are all, all those previous schools’ teachings is all to, their views, it’s all to realize the Madhyamika view, it’s all a step towards to realize Madhyamika view and Prasangika school view, it’s all a method, a process or a method. So in one engage in criticizing something that which is taught, a teaching that taught by Buddha, then one create negative karma heavier than having destroyed every single holy object that exists, every single object of offering that exists in the world having destroyed completely, so forth, the holy Dharma, all the scriptures, then, and in the lam-rim there are many different things explained, the various things that we create negative karma by doing it. So on the scripture, on the text, you can’t put even a stupa, you can’t put even a statue, stupa, on the top of the scripture, scriptures are higher, so buddhas become enlightened from the teaching. Even in thangkas, anyway, doesn’t matter….

So when we put altar then Dharma text goes higher. You don’t put statue higher then Dharma text lower. So can’t put, not only you can’t put material but even the statue, stupas, can’t put over Dharma texts. So unless there’s danger to be blown away by wind or something like that, then you put something to, that’s a different reason. So that time then, what is normally rejected then that becomes need here, then you put things on top. Of course, you don’t put dirty things but….

So, then received all the Buddha’s qualities, I left out that, received all the Buddha’s qualities. These skies of qualities of Buddha’s holy body, holy speech, holy mind has, all those, the limitless understanding, the compassion, power, all this, Buddha has, so, so forth, what one studied, what one heard from the extensive scriptures talking about the Buddha’s qualities, like Abhisamayalamkara, so forth and Madhyamika, anyway, so those one remember here and then think received.

So same, so taking refuge to Dharma, so what is purified I explained, so forth, all those negative karmas, then received all the, however, one can think from guru devotion up to enlightenment, so when you mention like that then there’s cessation of the suffering, defilements, everything is there, true path, from Lesser Vehicle path, cessation and true path, from Paramitayana path, the Buddha’s path the cessation of the defilements, even subtle defilements, and true path is there; and tantra, in tantra the cessation of the ordinary, the defilements and the gross mind and what makes to achieve that is the clear light, the extremely subtle mind, the clear light. So clear light has clear light of example, clear light of meaning, directly seeing emptiness, so actualize. So like that can relate to all three vehicles when you think that you receive qualities of Dharma. So all the qualities of bhumis, ten bhumis, unbelievable qualities mentioned, so receive all those.

By taking refuge to Sangha, then the heavy negative karma that having criticized Sangha and so the, having taken away that which is ungiven, things that belong to the Sangha having taken away that which is ungiven, not permitted or ungiven by the Sangha community or the, yeah, ungiven by Sangha community. Whoever’s the leader of the Sangha, then who represent all the Sangha, ungiven by that or, however, possessions received from Sangha, money, food and so forth that offered by benefactors with devotion to Sangha then when one takes that then one receiving pollution, so those purified. Things that offered to Sangha so didn’t offer to the Sangha or when other people offered things to the Sangha then saying, It is too much to offer Sangha, this is too much, then giving back, so those are heavy negative karmas. So there are quite a number of details mentioned in lam-rim, in the section what is to be purified when you take refuge to Sangha.

Then, offerings to the Sangha, while there’s enough then you offer Sangha very little or especially if you are a manager of Sangha or something, while there’s plenty then you offer very little to Sangha, being stingy and, so, yeah, so forth, anyway, so all those, even you haven’t done such a thing in this life but have done in the past lives, it’s possible such these karmas collected even you’re not Sangha in this life, you’re lay, so even you’re not involved in these things but may have, these things from beginningless rebirth collected, those purified.

Then receive the Sangha’s qualities, the bodhisattvas’ qualities, the bodhicitta, six paramitas, all those and then so forth. Then arhats, their qualities, three higher trainings, and then daka-dakinis, their qualities, their transcendental wisdom of nondual bliss-voidness and then protectors, their qualities, four actions received; the pacifying sicknesses, spirit harms, negative karmas, defilements, all these things, obstacles; increasing the life, fortune, good karma, wisdom, realizations; then controlling, the needs to practice Dharma, control over sentient beings and material possessions, there’s need to benefit for other sentient beings and the teaching of Buddha, all the needs. Then wrathful, wrathful action, the attainment, the evil beings who harm many sentient beings, holy beings and many sentient beings, then separating the consciousness from the body, so transcend in the pure land and, so that the being, by doing that so that being, evil being does not continue, it helps to not continue engaging very heavy negative karma and suffer for so many eons. So received the four actions that protectors possess then you receive within you.

So this meditation is very important and such as this meditation, visualization, is also cause of success, Dharma practice or any other activities.

So that’s it. So then maybe stop here.

So what I need is, probably I need to translate this, the sadhana, so that it will be easier, it will be easier if this is translated first, then we can recite, whether there’s a commentary or not a commentary.

Anyway, I just got a little bit extended in part, section of the refuge but the rest doesn’t need commentary, easy.

Oh, maybe explain now, or maybe next session?

Sorry, so my bad habit. Next session, explain next session, or stop now? Total break. Total break, complete break . No breathing. Then next session explain maybe. What do you think? Huh? Or explain now? What do you think?

Next Chapter:

Dedication Prayers »