Bodhgaya Teachings: 2006 (Audio and Unedited Transcript) Continued

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India 2006 (Archive #1588)

These teachings were given at Root Institute, Bodhgaya, India, December 26-31, 2006. Included here are lam-rim teachings, and oral transmissions of the Maitreya prayer, King of Prayers and the Stainless Beam Mantra. You can listen to Days 1-3 here.

Click on the audio links to listen to that portion of the teaching and read along with the unedited transcript.

Day Four: Benefits of Circumambulation Part D; Dedications

So that, so last time, I think maybe one or two years ago, something, so I here wrote down a motivation to circumambulate, how, what to meditate when you circumambulate, so the book, right? There’s a book? [Ven. Dekyong: Yes.] So there’s a book, meditation when you circumambulate and what the, the mantra to chant and all this. So some basic, beginning, how to begin, in the middle and at the end. So it’s good, so it becomes more perfect, very rich practice. So, of course, just circumambulating, even the motivation is not virtue, of course, by the power of the holy object then your actions become, whether you prostrate to the holy objects or circumambulate, make offering, even your motivation is not virtue, but the actions become virtue, immediately become cause of enlightenment, become cause to achieve liberation from samsara, become cause to achieve good rebirth, hts, all the happiness of future lives, by the power of, from the side of the holy object. Here it become virtue not from your motivation, your motivation is nonvirtue, but your action becomes virtue because of the power of the holy object, so still it’s very meaningful, as far as related to the holy objects, yeah. But then if one knows how to do preparation, actual body, completion, all that, then it becomes very, very powerful.

So motivation, bodhicitta, you generate a motivation of bodhicitta before you circumambulate, thinking, the purpose of one’s own life, to benefit for, not only yourself to be free from lower realms, to receive a higher rebirth and to achieve liberation from samsara, from oceans of samsara, not only that, but to benefit for sentient beings, to free the sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric suffering, bring to enlightenment; therefore, to do that, the numberless sentient beings, in each realm, from whom one receive all one’s own past, present, future happiness, liberation, enlightenment, everything, most precious, most kind, as I mentioned last night, then free them from all the suffering and causes, bring to enlightenment by oneself alone. Therefore, I must achieve enlightenment; therefore, I need to actualize the path; therefore, I need to purify defilements and need to collect extensive merit; therefore, I’m going to circumambulate.

So for the first circ-, then begin these mantras. Then, first circumambulation, if one has a little bit of time to circumambulate, then first circumambulation, for all sentient beings, especially for the hell beings. Circumambulate. So at the same time chant mantras, whatever, do prayers, collect virtue with the speech. And then mind, devotion or the meditation, either compassion or devotion, like that. So the stupa, statue or stupa, whatever, so here I’m talking just there, relating to there, but anywhere, whether you circumambulate a stupa or whether you circumambulate a statue or whatever, so what one should think, even it’s only one statue or one stupa, what one should meditate is, should think is, that this is all the guru, all the Buddha, all the Dharma, all the ten-direction Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, and all the ten-direction statues, stupas, scriptures, everything, so with that mind then circumambulate. So if you do that, then you have circumambulated to every single holy object that exists, every holy place, every holy place you have circumambulated, so every holy object, holy place in China, Tibet, Nepal, wherever, Burma, Thailand, wherever there’s a holy, wherever there’s a statue, stupa, scriptures, just from here you have circumambulated to every, not only here, this universe, other universes, every single holy object in any monastery, in any individual people’s house, in any shop, even the statues, holy objects, that are sold, that’s on sale in the shops, thangkas, so here by thinking with this meditation, you circumambulate, you have circumambulated to every single holy object that exists in the universe, universes. So this is, so even you do only one circumambulation with this meditation, you have circumambulated everything.

So that, now here you have to understand, there are numberless holy objects, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, numberless statues, stupas, scriptures, so with each holy object, with each, every single holy object, you created a good karma, you created a cause of enlightenment. You created a cause of enlightenment with every single holy object, wherever they are, universes, you created a cause of enlightenment, and you created a cause of liberation from samsara, you created a cause of happiness of future lives, so numberless, because the holy objects are numberless. So therefore you created numberless causes of enlightenment, numberless causes of liberation from samsara, numberless causes of all the happiness of future lives. So then no question about this life, success, comes from that, so the life becomes very, then the life, more merit means [sound of old Chinese man talking in the background], , more merit , more merit means your life is, your life becomes much easy. The minute you generate a wish, then things happen, the more merit you have. So easier to achieve realizations, greater success for sentient beings, teaching of Buddha.

So when you do prostrations, the same. I’m not going to talk about prostrations now. So I’m not going to get into, so just finish this part.

So, yeah, so with that meditation. Then when you finish one circumambulation, when you have a little bit more time, then if you don’t have time then of course all sentient beings in the six realms all together. But if you have some time, then do the first circumambulation like this, dedicated for all sentient beings, particularly the hell beings, numberless hell beings, okay.

Then, when you finish that, you give all the merits, you give all the merits, result happiness, liberation, enlightenment, everything you give all sentient beings, especially the hell beings. And they all become enlightened, okay. Think that.

Then, do the second circumambulation, all sentient beings, particular the hungry ghosts. Then when you finish give all your merits and result happiness, liberation, up to enlightenment, give everything to sentient beings, especially the hungry ghosts. They all become enlightened. Actualize the path.

Then, next, do the same, animals, next human beings, then suras, asuras, then next intermediate state beings. Then if still you have time to do that then you can do arhats, arya bodhisattvas, who are free from samsara, so then you offer all the merits to them they complete the path, achieve enlightenment. Then, next circumambulation, guru’s long life and all the activities, wishes to be fulfilled, or the success of the activities. And then next one can be, next circumambulation can be for the teachings of Buddha to exist a long time, dedicate particularly the merits for that. And then next one, if there’s no benefactors who support the holy beings or support the Sangha to preserve Dharma, spread Dharma, then Sangha cannot last, then it cannot exist, the community of Sangha and cannot preserve Dharma, spread Dharma for sentient beings, so then the supporters, benefactors, all them, for their long life and all their wishes to offer service for the teaching of Buddha, Sangha. So if one has time so could elaborate like that but otherwise basically just the, including the intermediate state then the six realm sentient beings, could do like that.

So like that is very good, there’s preparation, actual body, _______ _______.

Then, the nectar beams emit from all the holy objects, if it’s here, then here you can think all, everything, not just, every statue, everything’s all the guru, all the Buddha, all the Dharma, all the Sangha, ten-direction statues, stupas, scriptures, everything. Then, so, beams emitted from these holy objects and purify yourself completely and then all the six realm sentient beings also purified, can think like that. Can think, can concentrate, so qualities of holy object or mind think, or the compassion to sentient beings, purifying, so like that.

So I think, then at the end, must do dedication. Otherwise you collect extensive merit, so many merits then at the end you don’t, conclusion, you don’t dedicate the merits properly. You don’t dedicate the merits or you don’t dedicate the merits properly, then the merits can be destroyed. Merits can be destroyed by anger, if the anger rises. Heresy, the heresy rising. Then pride, if pride comes it makes the merits weaker. And if ill will comes, the merits become weaker. So the main one is, heaviest, anger, the main enemy, makes the merits, which destroys the merits, makes the merits weaker is by the heresy, anger, the main one. So, there’s a lot of obstacles for the merits. So therefore, must make sure you dedicate the merits at the end.

So, in the essence, the first thing as we do, dedicate the merits to actualize bodhicitta in everyone’s heart. “Due to all the three-time merits collected by me, collected by others, then bodhicitta, which is the source of all the happiness, success, everything, for oneself, for all sentient beings, may it be actualized within one’s own mind, in the minds of one’s own family members, in the minds of the sentient beings, without delay a second. And in whose heart bodhicitta generated, may it be increased.”

So first, that, and then second, you can dedicate for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s long life, can do that, however, the merits to not get destroyed by heresy and anger, to protect the merits, this dedication has two purposes. It’s very important to understand this and to practice. Otherwise, first of all, in our life to create merit is not easy, because delusions are so powerful, like waterfall, one after another, so very difficult to collect merit, pure virtue, Dharma, very difficult. And even it happened, even we’re able to do a little bit but there’s many obstacles for that merits, to be destroyed. So therefore, very important to make sure you dedicate the merits well. So this has two purposes.

“Due to all the three-time merits….”

So here dedicating the merits to achieve enlightenment for sentient beings, so the merits become, even it’s a small merit what you collected but if you dedicate like this, it’s, it becomes inexhaustible. It never finishes until you achieve enlightenment. Even after you achieve liberation, it ?still finishes. So until you achieve enlightenment, the merit never finishes, you can enjoy all the time. Then, there’s still you to enlighten all sentient beings, all those are, each and every single sentient being to enlighten, you to enlighten, so all these are the result of your past merits. So you can see how, it’s incredible, unceasing, okay. So by dedicating the merits to achieve enlightenment for sentient beings, the merit increases, becomes inexhaustible. So that’s one thing.

Now, the second thing, also when you dedicate the merits, put your merits and all other sentient beings’ and buddhas’ merits, you put together. So even your merit is so small, but by putting together with all of their merits becomes so powerful. So like a one million dollar project, so even you give, even what you give is only one dollar, but it helps to become one million dollars, mixed with other people’s money, so then you are able to accomplish the one million dollar project. So, becomes very powerful. So similar here, even your merit’s so small but you put together with everyone’s merits, put together, then it becomes so powerful, so much, abundance or the…., like that. So that’s one thing. Then you dedicate for enlightenment, which makes inexhaustible, okay.

Then third, then you dedicate the merits by meditating on emptiness. You dedicate the merits by looking at each one as empty, okay. Each one is empty, each one that which exists, that which while it is existing, you look at it empty, as they are empty. So that way then later if heresy, anger, rises, it cannot destroy the merits, it cannot weaken the merits. So, for example, Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo, the great enlightened being, Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo explained, so there’s a huge mountain, so many trucks come, take stones, so many stones away from that mountain, then even though so much is taken away, but still the mountain exists there. Still the mountain is there. So it’s like that.

So, what I’m saying now? What I’m saying? This is not quite, didn’t fit, that example didn’t fit. I think this example, this, so I have to clarify this. The example is this, the merits collected with a bodhicitta motivation, merits dedicated to achieve enlightenment, but you didn’t seal with the emptiness, but you didn’t do the dedication by meditating on emptiness, okay.

Looking at them empty. In that case later when heresy, anger, rises, it still destroys the merits, but not completely. So the example, is like a mountain that many trucks come, take stones away, but still there a whole mountain is there. So it’s like that. So the merits completely doesn’t get destroyed, but it weakens. Even you dedicate for enlightenment, it becomes inexhaustible but without meditating on emptiness, without looking at them empty, so the merits become weaker. So therefore, for protections, merits to not get destroyed, not become weaker, then that’s why it’s important to look at them empty as they’re empty, when you dedicate the merits, okay.

So, and the reason why meditating on emptiness protects the merits, so I asked Kyabje Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, so Rinpoche used to explain this, why, because the root of all the suffering is ignorance, so what eliminates, what destroys that, no other realization except the wisdom realizing emptiness can destroy that, the root of all the suffering, the delusion and karma, the ignorance, concept of true existence. So therefore, that’s the reason why when you dedicate the merit to achieve enlightenment, we do by sealing with emptiness, by looking at it empty, okay. So then, the merits cannot be destroyed, okay, so like that.

Yeah, then, so anyway, then after that then you can expand whatever dedication you want to do, can do that. So mentioned the jang chum sem chog…., this bodhicitta, then other one is dedicating the merits to achieve enlightenment, oneself to achieve enlightenment for sentient beings. Then on the basis of that you can expand whatever one wishes, okay. Then also like, such as like this, may all the father and mother, Due to all the three-time merits collected by me and the three-time merits collected by others, “others” means all sentient beings including bodhisattvas and buddhas, okay, may all the father and mother sentient beings have happiness. May the three lower realm beings be empty forever. May all the bodhisattvas’ prayers be succeed immediately. May I be able to cause all this to happen by myself alone.

May I be able to cause all this to happen by myself alone, so it means to cause all sentient beings to have happiness and three lower realms to be empty forever, to cause by oneself. Then all the bodhisattvas’ prayers to be succeed, that I will, oneself to cause. That’s also a good one.

Then with the bodhicitta, when you dedicate to generate bodhicitta, you can think this. So by having generated bodhicitta in everyone’s heart, then may war, famine, disease, torture, poverty, sicknesses, dangers of fire, water, air, earthquakes, all these undesirable things happening in this world, wherever it’s happening, may it be stopped immediately and may nobody in this world experience all these undesirable things forever. So when you dedicate for bodhicitta, you can also, after you dedicate for bodhicitta then you can also do this prayer. Then everybody live their life, so by having generated bodhicitta, everybody live their life only helping each other, only become cause of enlightenment, so could do like that. Yeah, so that’s the brief dedication, the important, among the dedications what is important.

Due to all the past, present, future merits collected by me, the three-time merits collected by others, may the bodhicitta, source of all the happiness, success, for oneself, for all sentient beings, may it be actualized within one’s heart and in the heart of one’s own family members, in the heart of all the students in this organization and in the heart of all the benefactors, all those who support, and especially those who, so many people who give their life, sacrifice their life to the organization doing service to other sentient beings, teaching of Buddha, in all their hearts. And may they, and in the hearts of all sentient beings, especially in the hearts of the leaders of this world, especially in the hearts of all the people who have harmful thoughts to harm others, so those who are called terrorists or however, so, who are called, not called, anyone who has a harmful mind to harm others, so bodhicitta to be generated in all their hearts. And in whose heart bodhicitta is generated, may it be increased.

Jang chub sem chog…. [3x]

Gang ri ra wai….

Pal den la mai ku tse ten pa dang….

Due to all the past, present, future merits collected by me and the three-time merits collected by others, all the sentient beings including bodhisattvas, and all the buddhas, that which exists, that which are existent but do not exist from their own side, that which are totally empty, may the I, who exists but do not exist from its own side, who is totally empty, [long pause] and achieve Maitreya Buddha’s enlightenment, that which exists but doesn’t exist from its own side, that which is empty, [pause] lead all the sentient beings, who exist but do not exist from their own side, who are totally empty, to that Maitreya Buddha’s enlightenment, which exists but doesn’t exist from its own side, that which is totally empty, [pause] by myself alone, who exists but who do not exist from its own side, who is totally empty. [pause]

Cho kyi gyal po tsong kha pai….

Dag dang zhen gyi du sum dang….

So this, I think the mantra must be in the book, that circumambulation that might be, okay. I’m not sure the second one is there or not, I’m not sure. The second one is there? OM DASHA DIKA? OM DASHA DIKA is there, the second one? The second one is there also? For circumambulation? Both? Okay. Then if they’re, seems there, then it’s okay.

So, however, so whatever you’re going to have, you’re going to have liberation or you’re going to have dinner or whatever it is….

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Day Five: Karma »