Oneself to be able achieve full enlightenment, that doesn’t happen without cause, so one need to actualize the steps of path to enlightenment, the graduated path of the higher capable being; and that depends on actualizing the graduated path of middle capable being and general; and that depends on the preliminary, actualizing the graduated path of the lower capable being and general. Now success of all this, from the beginning of the lam-rim, the graduated path of the lower capable being, from perfect human rebirth, the beginning of the path, from there up to enlightenment, the whole that success depends on the root of the path, the guru devotion—correctly devoting by looking at, with Buddha’s quotation and reasonings and your personal experiences that you have with this guru, special qualities that you see, so with this, then you look at the guru [as] buddha, you train your mind to look at the guru [as] buddha, free from all the mistakes and having all the qualities.
So by looking at…how many there’re that one has established Dharma contact, even having received oral transmission of one mantra or one verse of teaching with the recognition of guru and disciple from one’s own side, with whomever one establish Dharma contact, then looking at buddha from one’s own side, with the quotations of Buddhas Vajradhara and Shakyamuni Buddha, and reasonings and your, as I mentioned before, your experiences of particular qualities that you see within them. Then, with this, then, you see them buddha. You see them pure. So with this guru devotion, correctly devoting the virtuous friend, so this makes, actualizing the realization from perfect human rebirth, from there up to enlightenment, successful.
So now, as His Holiness mentioned today about the guru, about analyzing guru, as His Holiness mentioned, so however, in regards qualities: to reveal the lesser vehicle path, having the three qualities, the three higher trainings—higher training of the morality, concentration, wisdom. The ten qualities to reveal Mahayana teaching; the ten qualities that is mentioned in the Maitreya Buddha’s teaching Do-de-gyan…the having—I’m not going to translate the words, I’m just going to mention the meaning—having three higher trainings, she-nyen tu-wa shi-wa nye shi-wa, and having higher qualities…since this is to practice Dharma, so having higher, the teacher having more qualities, more knowledge of Dharma. Then having perseverances. Then whose holy mind enriched of the scriptural understandings, received the lineage of the teachings. Then, having realized the emptiness. Difference here and then…before I mentioned three higher trainings—so the higher of the wisdom, why comes here again, realizing emptiness? Realizing emptiness went already before. So here the second one, teng-nyi rab-tu tog-pa, having realized emptiness, so that means Prasangika’s view, Madhyamika, the second school, Prasangika school, view, emptiness—that particular emptiness, which is the only one that can eradicate, the one, the only one root of samsara, that particular, that specific ignorance that causes all the delusion, all other delusion and karma, all the sufferings. That very specific, that ignorance, there’s only one root of samsara, the specific one. So only Prasangika’s view, only this emptiness which can cut that. Not by other school views of emptiness.
So however, so the previous one…that, so in this case, that is other school view, other school view of emptiness, like Cittamatra, Only-mind School or like that, other school view. However…then way of, skillful in explaining Dharma. Then nature of compassion. Then who has abandoned the…to guide the disciples, to teach, just to give teachings, to guide the disciple, not having laziness—type of lazy mind, thinking that’s difficult or I don’t want to do, I don’t want to teach. Being lazy mind. So not having that kind of attitude.
So, however, then even one doesn’t have all these qualities, but from these seven qualities, as many as possible. However, then as it is mentioned Fifty Verses of the Guru Devotion or the Guru Puja, Lama Chöpa, in the section praising the qualities of the guru—those who recite the prayer, as you know, having well-disciplined the body, speech and mind; having great wisdom and tolerance; having sincere, straight mind, not having cunning mind, cunning hiding one’s own mistakes; then knowing the outer ten qualities and the inner ten qualities, having, that is inner ten qualities according to, to be able to teach all the tantra, the highest tantra, having inner ten qualities. Then outer ten qualities, qualities to be able to teach lower tantra. So, so forth.
However, the essence, however, whether one see all those qualities or not, the essence is who emphasizes morality, the essence is, that teacher to be able to guide the disciple, at least teacher, one important quality, fundamental quality is, who emphasizes morality. In the practice, who emphasizes morality—pratimoksha vow; bodhisattva vow; so then, if you practice tantra, tantra vow. So who emphasizes the moralities. Otherwise, the disciple, otherwise cannot lead the disciple, cannot cause the disciple to achieve good rebirth the next life. To achieve liberation from samsara, even that.
So these are very essential, fundamental practice. Without this, there’s no enlightenment; there’s no liberation from samsara; there’s not even good rebirth next lives. I’m not saying in order to have good rebirth you should have all three vows, you should take all three vows, I’m not saying that. But you have to have pratimoksha vow in order to have good rebirth.
So the death can come any time, any minute can happen. So if the death happens today, make sure that you have a good rebirth. Make sure you don’t fall down in the hell realm, hungry ghost, animal realms, where completely overwhelmed…even us human being, when we’re sick, we cannot meditate. When the weather is so hot, cannot meditate. So anyway, even us human beings, according to them, we have incredible freedom, incredible luxury life, but when we have problems, cannot practice. So anyway, so their lives are totally overwhelmed by suffering and no opportunity to practice Dharma. So therefore, now, so therefore make sure, guarantee if one died, say, if one die this year, this month, this week, today, make sure to not get reincarnated in the lower realm; make sure to have good rebirth. So that’s, for that one, one need to make preparation right now.
That best preparation, main cause to have good rebirth, that is practicing morality. So for example, it doesn’t mean everybody become monk or nun, the lay vow, so there’s eight precepts, there’s five lay precepts, even less than that—one can take one vow, two, from the five, one can take one vow, two vow, three vow, whatever one can. So however, whatever vow that one take and living pure in that, so this is the immediate, this is, if you die with that pure vow, then definite you have good rebirth next life. So then again practice Dharma, and then from happiness to happiness, then one go to enlightenment.
So therefore, one important quality is who emphasize, teacher who emphasize the morality. Who inspire the disciple’s morality, that’s very important. So that’s, so as I mentioned just now, that has, that gives incredible freedom. Living in the vow, taking vow, living in the vow, is giving yourself freedom, giving yourself liberation from samsara. Giving yourself enlightenment, giving yourself liberation from samsara; from all the sufferings of samsara. So, like that.
So, however, then, having that…and then, having good samaya, the teacher having good samaya with her or his own gurus. The teacher having good samaya with her or, if the teacher female then with her own gurus; if the teacher is male, with his, having good samaya, good connection with all his gurus. So that is extremely important factor, because how much you can benefit to the disciple depends on that. How much you can cause disciples to have realization depends on your samaya with your guru.
So one who correctly devote virtuous friend who has good samaya, then due to that power, due to that purity and to the power, even you say only few words of instruction, only few words of Dharma, but that has great effect, that has incredible effect in the mind of others. That clicks in others’ mind to realize emptiness, or such strong, just by hearing few words you get very strong, you feel very strong compassion or renunciation, renunciation, impermanence, death. Has a great effect in others’ mind, quick transformation, quick realization. So otherwise there’s risk, also, others they receive pollution or make same mistakes. So however, like that.
So, I’m not going to give any explanation. I don’t want to take more time. I thought either, before, to talk more on guru devotion but then my talk went on something else . So I’m just going to read the nine attitudes that Lama Tsongkhapa explained in Lamrim Chenmo, this…recently we translated during the Vajrasattva retreat, Land of Medicine Buddha, so I’m just, I’m not going to give any explanation, just to read this. I’m sure many others who have done the study already understand, but others who haven’t heard, get idea. It’s very helpful, especially when your mind is very difficult state, related with guru, when your mind is very difficult state, this is, to read this is very good. So it’s like atomic bomb; makes to disappear the difficult thoughts.
This is not from Lamrim Chenmo, but it’s mentioned, Lamrim Chenmo, but this is from Shabkar Tsogdruk Rangdrol, one who, it seems, received teachings from Gelugpa lamas, who taught the Lama Tsong Khapa’s way of present, taught lam-rim in that way. The way he presented is very effective, so I translated, we translated his text.
“I’m requesting kind Lord root Guru who is more extraordinary than all the Buddhas, please bless me to be able to devote myself to the qualified guru, with great respect in all my future life times by realizing that correctly devoting myself to the kind Lord Guru who is the foundation of all good qualities, is the root of happiness and goodness. I shall devote myself to him with great respect, not forsaking him or her even at the cost of my life. Thinking of the importance of the qualified guru allow yourself to enter his control.”
I said I’m not going to talk, but sorry …but because it says “control,” I have to say something. Because people don’t like to be controlled. Especially in the West. Nobody wants to be controlled by anybody. Not even by the mosquitoes! I’m joking, anyway, I’m joking. So here, put this way, it might sound, if you don’t understand, it might sound negative when we say “control”, “Put yourself under the guru’s control.”
For example, a simple example, if you let yourself under the control of good friend, then you become good person. If you allow yourself under the control, you follow, you listen to the good person, good friend, then you become good person. But if you let yourself under control of bad friend, then you become bad person. So if you let yourself under the control of a good friend by following his advice, then you do what he or she said, then you become good person and you able to, then you don’t create any problem to yourself and also don’t give any problem to others and only cause them happiness. So similar, if we let ourselves…there’s an example, there were two people, I think in Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo’s Liberation Palm, there were two people, one person is alcoholic, drink alcohol, one person doesn’t drink. But this person who drink alcohol went to monastery, Reting, went to a monastery, Reting? Then he, what happened was he become non-, he become not drinking alcohol. The person who is not drinking alcohol before, he went to Lhasa. Then he become drinking. So they took completely……so that’s due to the influence of the friend, what kind of friend you follow. So, like that.
So if you listen Buddha’s advice, if you let ourselves under the control of Buddha, who has only compassion for us sentient beings, no self-centered mind, perfected in the compassion, wisdom, omniscient mind, and perfect power, so therefore, here, to be, you let yourself under the control of buddha, the result, from that what you get is only benefit; only benefit, you get only benefit. Happiness up to enlightenment; happiness now, up to enlightenment, this what you get. Letting oneself under the control of Buddha. So like that you see.
Now, similar, so virtuous, if it is a virtuous friend, then if you let yourself under the control of virtuous friend, then same thing what I explained before, Buddha, it’s same. That’s, if it is a virtuous friend, then you get only benefit, no shortcomings. So, for example, we can relate us, us students, met Dharma a long time ago. So, if we let ourselves under the control of the guru, from the time that we met Dharma up to now, if we did that, we would have achieved many realizations. If we did that, by now we would have realization bodhicitta, emptiness, including guru devotion and tantra realization; even we could have achieved enlightenment. Even that could have happened. If we let ourselves under the control of guru. By now we could have liberated totally from samsara; that could have happened. So, at least we could have achieved some, at least some realizations, lam-rim realizations and tantra realizations, could have been achieved. So, because didn’t get done that, to allow oneself, to open one’s own heart towards the guru, to let oneself under the control of the guru, the virtuous friend, so therefore, that did not happen exactly all the time, so therefore, that we didn’t get to achieve any, those of us who didn’t to get achieve any realizations, still the mind is completely empty, so that is due to that mistake, not allow, not opened your heart towards guru, not allowed oneself to be under the control of guru or to follow the guru, so like that.
Second one: “Be like an obedient son, acting exactly in accordance with the guru’s advice.”
Number third: “Even when maras, evil friend and the like try to split you from the guru be like a vajra…even when maras, evil friends and the like try to split you from the guru be like a…” that time, what one should do…“Be like a vajra, inseparable forever,” from the guru.
It is said by one Kagyupa lama, one yogi, Drubkang Tsangpa Gyari, “The, if one, if went wrong in the dependent-arising, if something went wrong in auspicious with the Lord, the qualified Lord (means the guru), if something went wrong (it means the connection, or the samaya), then even all sentient beings become your friend, what’s the use?” If something happened wrong with the connection with the guru, in the auspicious, or in the samaya, went wrong, then even all the living beings become your friend, what’s the use? What they can do? What you can do? Because something happened with the guru, so even everybody become your friend you cannot achieve realization, cannot achieve enlightenment, cannot achieve liberation from samsara until that is fixed, until you do something with that.
Next verse [of the Kagyu lama’s teaching], I don’t remember word by word, so the meaning is that, if you have the connection and nothing happened with the connection with the guru then, no mistake happened, then, even all, even all living beings they, even they leave you, even they become enemy to you…
[tape change]
…means, for ordinary people, this is a big, whether everybody become your friend or enemy, that is big thing, but in Dharma practice, once the connection with guru, nothing, no mistakes happened, then everyone become enemy, everyone become enemy to you, doesn’t matter. The word I don’t remember exactly, that part, because, then, once no mistakes happened with the connection guru, then all the success, you can have all the realizations, you can have all the success up to enlightenment, and you can benefit for all, enlighten all sentient beings. I think that’s what it means.
“When the guru gives you work, whatever the burden, be like earth, carrying all.”
“When you devote,” fifth one, “When you devote yourself to the guru, whatever suffering occurs,” so which means hardships or problems, “Be like a mountain, immovable.” The mind should…just this is commentary, trying to explain “immovable”—the mind should not be upset or discouraged.
The next, number sixth: “Even if you have to perform all the difficult tasks, be like a servant of the king, with the mind undisturbed.”
Next one, number seven, maybe; anyway, doesn’t matter number : “Abandon pride; hold yourself lower than the guru, be like a sweeper.” Be like a sweeper—I don’t know in the West, but in the East, sweeper means very low. I think in the West it’s same, I think, everybody same, whether you doing sweeper…but in the East, sweeper is regarded very low. “Abandon pride, hold yourself lower than the guru. Be like a sweeper.”
Next one. “Be like a rope, joyfully holding the guru’s work no matter how difficult or heavy a burden.”
“Even when the guru criticizes…” next one…“Even when the guru criticizes, provokes or ignores you, be like a dog…” In New York, there’re so many dogs. I think more dogs than other states, maybe. All kinds. “Even when the guru criticizes, provoke or ignores you, be like a dog, without anger.” How the dog, with the master, the owner, how much the dog get beaten, the dog always respect, always doesn’t show anger. When he see master is coming from outside, always move the tail, and always lick, show happiness. “Never respond with anger.”
The next one: “Be like a boat, never upset at any time, to come and go for the guru.”
The next one…no, then the nine attitudes devoting the guru is finished.
So the Lama added these extra words: “Oh glorious and precious root Guru, please bless me to be able to practice in this way from now on, in all my future life times. May I be able to devote myself to the guru in this way. By reciting these words aloud and reflecting their meaning in your mind you will have the good fortune to be able to devote yourself correctly to the precious guru, from life to life in all your future life times. If you offer service and respect and make offerings to the precious guru with these nine attitudes, even if you do not practice intentionally, you will develop many good qualities.”
So even one doesn’t do studies or particular practices, preliminary practices, retreat and so forth, even one doesn’t do those particular practices purposely, by doing, by devoting, by correctly devoting the virtuous friend with thought and action, “You will naturally develop many good qualities, collect extensive merit all the time and quickly achieve full enlightenment.”
So, every time, every day, whenever get done one advice of guru, every time you become closer to enlightenment. Every time, every day, one advice get done, you become closer to enlightenment and it become great purification the many lifetimes, those heavy negative karma get purified. So inconceivable merits get collected. So, for example, even cleaning the room, the guru’s place, for example, each time, each cleaning brings you to enlightenment closer and closer, because guru is the most powerful—among the powerful objects, guru is the most powerful object, more powerful than the numberless buddhas, bodhisattvas. So that power happens the minute, the other person, that become powerful, become powerful, the minute that person become your guru. The minute you make Dharma connection with the recognition guru-disciple, the minute you do that, the minute that person become guru, that person become…whether that person’s side enlightened or not enlightened, or bodhisattva or not bodhisattva, however, the minute you make Dharma connection, that person become most powerful person in your life, than all the buddha, bodhisattvas.
So therefore, even the service, even each sweeping, this is an example, each sweeping at the guru’s place purifies so much negative karma and brings closer and closer to enlightenment, each sweeping...
