Kopan Course No. 09 (1976)

By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Kopan Monastery, Nepal, 1976 (Archive #091)

These teachings were given by Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche at the Ninth Kopan Meditation Course, held at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, in 1976. You may also download the entire contents of these teachings in a pdf file.

Section Seven: Suffering

Lecture 33

Please cultivate the pure motivation of bodhicitta. I must reach the enlightenment right away in order to enlighten all the kind mother sentient beings. Therefore I’m going to listen to the teachings on the gradual path to enlightenment.

Fact, what we should feel during the motivation, if it’s possible during the motivation time the main aim, the main point, the main aim is, the main aim that what’s supposed to be in the heart, in our mind—that is the sentient beings, that has to be the main aim, the first one I mentioned.

Well then the people who took the previous courses they can understand, “Kind mother sentient beings,” not kind mother sentient beings, fact is looks very short, it looks very short—kind mother sentient beings but if one thinks, if one thinks, if one remembers, if one remembers the meditation from the gradual path of the higher being which leads to bodhicitta, if one remember that then, so when I mentioned, when I repeat the motivation, “kind mother sentient being,” you have the whole idea you see, whole idea of mother and kind sentient beings, whole thing comes, the whole meditation from the gradual path of the higher being which leads to the ten links, the specific links which leads to bodhicitta. The whole of that meditation comes when I say “kind mother sentient being.”

When you see the whole meditation in such a short time, then you have the feeling, then you have the feeling, even you have the word, even you have just two, “kind mother sentient being” you see, but in your mind the feeling is much more greater, the word is nothing, the word is so small, so short, nothing but the feeling what you have in the mind, feeling is much more greater, you know. When you see the whole meditation remember “kind,” then you have the glance of that meditation you see, the whole thing is so fact like this, it is included in this short motivation. So one remember you see, even at least glance, just the whole meditation of kindness, you know, there’s great, there’s great feeling is much more. All of a sudden your mind kind of seeing the whole sentient being without any discrimination the whole sentient being all of sudden kind of beauty all (feeling?) kind of beauty by hearing just the word kind. Just like you see your mother, just like you see your friend. However, the sentient beings, you know, the sentient being’s to receive enlightenment, to release from suffering that is the most, the biggest project, the biggest thing what we have what is in your mind. That is the main aim in the mind.

You see, but without oneself receiving enlightenment cannot make that, cannot do that, cannot fulfill that project, I mean cannot fulfill that aim. So by the way, I am receiving enlightenment is by the way, by the way, incidental.

When you eat ice-cream…

…the main thing when you eat ice cream is to get the ice cream in your mouth, but to open the lid, to open the lid of the can, the can, that is not the main thing, but the main thing is what you concentrate on, the main thing is to get, to taste the ice cream, to get the ice cream inside your mouth, the stomach, that is the main point, that is the main aim, main concentration. But for the others it is not really you making concentration but I have to do that. But in your mind what is the main, what is the main concentration, what is the main thing is to eat the ice cream.

Oneself receiving enlightenment, without that the aim, this has to be, this work, to enlighten oneself has to be done. Just as the example the main goal is to eat ice cream but also to open the lid is not the main thing, that is not the main thing, your concentration, that is not the, not your main interest, is not the main thing. But you have to do, sort of like this, you know. Then like this, what is forced, then, how the motivation at least, what supposed, how it’s supposed to be according to the repetition of the motivation, then it’s sort of, sort of should be like this, then it’s pure, it’s pure motivation, similar to this, there’s such thing like this, then motivation like this. Mainly concerned about the sentient being is similar to, it is the mind which is close to or similar to the bodhicitta.

The listening subject is the Mahayana Teaching which leads one to enlightenment, which is well-expounded by the great philosophers Nagarjuna and Asanga, the highly realized bodhisattva Atisha and the Dharma king of the three worlds, the great Lama Tsongkhapa, the understanding of teaching itself, and this teaching contains the essence of the eight4,000 Teachings from Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. All these teachings are set out for the gradual practice for one person achieving enlightenment, and the whole thing is the sole path through which all past, present and future buddhas have receive enlightenment. This is the gradual path.

In order to offer just a very brief commentary on this, on the four basic outlines, the last one is the gradual path to enlightenment how to lead the disciples on the path to enlightenment. That has two outlines, the last one is how to train the mind in the path by following the guru.

There are three levels of the gradual path to enlightenment. Part of this meditation subject is, in order to receive enlightenment, one has to receive bodhicitta, one has to receive bodhicitta. In order to receive bodhicitta one has to receive compassion, one has to receive the mind renouncing samsara, that depends on understanding how the samsara is in the nature of suffering. Same thing, same shortcomings of samsara, it means the same thing.

Then talking about the part of the six general samsaric sufferings just briefly, it was briefly finished.

Each particular realm has their own particular sufferings. The explanation of the suffering of the three lower realms, usually in the teaching, in regards the gradual practice you know, to experience the meditation, comes before the refuge, according to the gradual practice to actualize the meditation. So that goes very well with the refuge meditation. So part of this subject is the meditation subject from the gradual path of the middle intelligent being, in the particular suffering of each realm, the human beings’ suffering.

There are five shortcomings to the human beings skandhas, our skandhas, the shortcomings of our skandhas, caused by delusion, caused by delusion. There are five different ways to make meditation in order to realize how the skandhas, how these aggregates are in the nature of our samsara, samsara. These aggregates are in the nature of suffering. Five different ways to make meditation, in order to realize how one’s own samsara, the aggregates are in the nature of suffering.

Before, in other courses I explained on the suffering, eight sufferings like this, but this time… actually eight suffering comes. There are five ways to meditate, five shortcomings of this samsara, the aggregates, the aggregates, caused by delusion. There are five shortcomings, but actually the eight sufferings what we used to talk about in other courses is contained in these five shortcomings of the skandhas, the samsaric aggregates caused by delusion. Just not to take much time, and just making kind of conclusion, kind of making condensed. Also this way making meditation, shortcomings of this specific in our samsara, the aggregates caused by delusion, also for the mind is more effective to see how one’s own present samsara is in the nature of suffering.

The first shortcoming of samsara, the aggregates caused by the delusions, that is under the control of, it has been under the control of previous delusion and karma. It has been under the control of previous delusion and karma.

You see why at the birth time, why our skandhas are not free. Why, another question, why we are not born, why we are not born without suffering, without suffering, why weren’t we born without suffering? At the birth time why weren’t we born without suffering? If it is bound, as long as, as long as our aggregates are bound by the delusion and karma, as long as they are bound by the delusion and karma, it is not free from the delusion, the aggregates are not free from the delusion and karma, not free from the delusion, not free from the delusion and karma. So therefore, it is not free from suffering, so therefore the self, therefore the self even at the birth time was not free from suffering.

Why one is not free, the self I was not free at the birth time, not free from suffering, that is because, because I was bound. I was bound to the samsara. At the birth time I was bound to the samsara by the delusion and karma. I was to the samsara, these aggregates, the samsara, the aggregates by the delusion and karma. So actually, so like this.

The answer, if there was no delusion and karma in previous life, if there’s no delusion and Dharma in previous life we would have been born, even at birth time being free from samsara, being free from samsara, being free from suffering, the samsara. And we wouldn’t have been born with delusion and karma. We wouldn’t have born with delusion and karma at the birth time. If there’s no, you see suffering, what has made, what has made, what has obliged the self to take this birth, to take this body. On other hand, that is by the previous delusion and karma, that is by the previous delusion and karma. What has made the self to take on this body which is in the nature of suffering, such as this samsaric body, that is by the previous delusion and karma. Because the delusion and karma was not ceased, in our previous life we didn’t stop the delusion and karma, so by being under the control of previous delusion and karma we are born with suffering in this life, by being under the control of previously lives’ delusion and karma, this life we are born with this suffering.

Born with suffering means born with delusion and karma, not only that but also born with the suffering of suffering. Already, when one was in mother’s womb, besides oneself was with delusions and karma, that time also we had to experience the suffering of suffering (the three different types of suffering will be explained afterwards.) Even just at the time we took birth (conception) in mother’s womb, even in the very beginning even we experienced suffering of suffering. In our previous lives if we had stopped delusions and karma, this life we wouldn’t be born with delusions and karma, we wouldn’t be born with the suffering of suffering. We wouldn’t experience the suffering of rebirth, suffering of old age, suffering if sicknesses, suffering of death – all the confusion, all these problems we don’t have to experience because there is no cause, the cause was finished. It was purified in the previous lives. So being under the control of delusions and karma. This has great understanding.

If I mention this before, you can understand. The first shortcoming of samsara, as I mentioned, is the aggregates have been under the control of the previous delusion and karma. Or I can say, this samsara, these skandhas are caused by previous lives’ delusions and karma. This has the same meaning. Example like a person who can’t control smoking, present time he is smoking, that is by the force, the control, of previous habit. The person has been under the control of previous habit. So actually it is caused by previous habit that he’s finding difficult to stop it. Then just to make a little bit clear, sort of like this.

On other hand, what has made the self to get caught, what has made the self to get stuck inside this body? To take this body which is in the nature of suffering, this samsaric body. That is by previous delusion and karma. That has been under the control of previous delusion and karma.

And the second shortcoming of samsara, the aggregates, this is the seed, it is born with the seed.

I think this way is better. This has a continual seed, this has a continual seed of the future sufferings and delusions, this has continual seed of the future life suffering, and delusion. You see, if the delusions are ceased… if you don’t cease the delusion in this life, then what happens this becomes cause of the previous—I’m saying previous, I think life is going back to the beginning of samsara! Going back, you know. If you don’t cease the present life delusions then this become cause for the future life delusions, the suffering, the delusion. So this present life delusion becomes the root, root of the tree which is under the ground, which is under the ground and produce the stems and the trees like that, you know. This present life delusion is like the root of the future life suffering and the delusions. So as we don’t, as this samsara, the skandhas – skandhas is Sanskrit word for aggregates, aggregates—this has the continual seed, continual seed of the future suffering, future life suffering, delusions.

So as we do not cease, as we do not cut off in this life then in the future life the delusion, the future life we get born, again we will be born with the delusion. Because of the delusion again we create so much, again we create so much negative karma, so much negative karma, then that’s how we continuously suffer, again like this, continuously suffer by being born in the three lower realms and three upper realms.

So again, that future life delusion becomes the cause of the other future life delusion the suffering and delusions. So same thing, again that produces negative karma, again the delusions become the cause of that future life delusion the suffering delusions, it goes on and on like this, continuously the self is escaped in the suffering realm.

So you see how important it is to stop, to destroy the seed of the delusion, to destroy, to not continue, to destroy the seed of the future life’s sufferings the delusions. In this way we understand when we think of all this future, all this endless future, future life suffering. Then we see how it is extremely important in this time to cease the continuity of the seed of the delusion. Again, that future life’s delusions become the cause of other future lives delusions and suffering. Again that produces negative karma, it makes the self to experience much suffering and again that delusion becomes the cause of the future life’s suffering delusions—it goes on and on like this, continuously the self is kept in the suffering realms. So you see how important it is to destroy the seed of the delusions, to not continue, to destroy the seeds of the future lives’ suffering, delusions. In this way we see the cause of all the future lives suffering. We see how it is extremely important at this time to cease the continuity of the seeds of delusions.

Also, this becomes the base of, this present life’s aggregates caused by the delusion becomes the base, base.. this present, the aggregates caused by the delusion becomes the base of also future suffering; also future life’s suffering such as the birth, the old age, sickness, death, like this. How?

You see, with this, how this becomes base, just like the base, because of this base, then we put this tent, all this pillows and then the, the roof. Then like this, this becomes the base, the base of future life suffering, the rebirth, old age sickness and death. One way, one way, with these aggregates we create karma, we create karma to be born as, if it is animal to be born as animal or if it is human being, human being. The one thing, if I’m going to be born as human being in the future life directly after this life, let’s say, you know, let’s have a dream, you know, that I’m going to be born as human being in the future life. It is hopeless, but figure it out…

…that I’m going to be born as a human being in the future life. It is hopeless but figure it out that I’m going to be born as human being again, you know. Then so what happens is like this, how this becomes the base of the future life suffering, the birth, old age, death.

This samsara, these aggregates caused by the delusion and karma, it joins the future life. It joins, it continues, it continues to the future life skandhas, the future life aggregates, the aggregates. These aggregates, the samsara aggregates caused by delusion continues to the future life aggregates. The future life samsara, the aggregates, the aggregates caused by delusion. You see, how that happens—perhaps you may think this body is going, this body does not continue to the future life body, this body is going, this body does not continue to the future life body, this body does not continue to the future, this body, this hand does not continue to the future life hand, the, just like the mind, as the mind continues the body, this whole gross body, this gross body, this thing kind of continues, existing, this becomes the future, this becoming the aggregates of the, aggregates of the future, of the future life, one’s own future life. Kind of same continuity of this body just like the mind, same continuity of this body, the future life will exist on this body—not like this. It doesn’t mean this.

Of course we understand that this body at the death, this body; it does not continue. The samsaric aggregates, the aggregates, these present aggregates caused by delusion, these continue to the future life, to the future life’s aggregates.

So as you have meditated once on the death process, the death process, the evolution, the death process, as you have meditated on that, what is called the clear light, there’s things like that, gross mind and subtle mind like that in the death process. In the death process so like that also according to ... Anyway whatever.

Also in the body there’s gross body and subtle body. For instance, after this death, one will be born as intermediate being. The mind of the intermediate state being… the subtle mind, which appears when the clear light vision happens, which appears, that time what mind is left is only the subtle mind. This subtle mind is the principal cause of the intermediate stage being’s mind. Right after that, when the clear light vision stops, when the black vision starts, in that time, at the same time as the black vision starts, the self is born into the intermediate stage. The subtle mind is the principal cause of the intermediate stage being’s mind, and the subtle body becomes the principal cause of the intermediate stage being’s body. And the subtle mind becomes co-operative cause, condition, which supports the body of the intermediate stage being. The subtle body is the principal cause of the intermediate stage being’s body, but the subtle body is also the co-operative cause, the condition which supports the intermediate stage being’s mind. And the subtle mind is the principal cause of the intermediate state being’s mind but it becomes also the co-operative cause, the condition which supports the intermediate state being’s body.

However, if I explain like this you can understand, how the aggregates, how the samsaric aggregates cause the delusion, how this continues to the future life, how this joins to the future life. If you understand how it joins to the intermediate stage being then you can understand. Like this, similar, is how it joins to the future life, like if I’m going to be born as a human being, same thing, how this subtle mind and body joins to the intermediate stage, like this. Similarly, how this aggregate joins to the future life, the human being, my future life which is human being, that aggregate, that human beings aggregates, how this aggregates joins that aggregates. So example is like this intermediate stage, after this death intermediate stage, like this, similarly, how this aggregate joins the future life, the future life, the human being, my future life which is human being that aggregates. So example is like this intermediate stage, after this death intermediate stage.

So like that, similarly it works. Then after the intermediate stage if I’m going to be born, right after that if I’m going to be born as a human being, then that’s how the mind, the subtle mind and body join the future life. From the intermediate stage, the vehicle, the subtle body and the subject, the mind, one who rides on the vehicle, the mind, takes place in the mother’s womb, on the combination of the egg. Then as soon as it has taken place on the combination of the egg in the mother’s womb, it has taken the gross body. So this, this is probably a little bit related to tantra subject. However this is one way we can think then like this.

Other way, it is with these aggregates we create karma, create karma to be born as human being, and that way this becomes also base. This becomes also base, that’s the combination, the karma. Then the result, the future life body, the future life aggregates, by taking the body, then again experience suffering rebirth, suffering old age, suffering of sickness, suffering of death. These are just four things but all the problems again I will have to experience.

In the teachings, in the philosophy teachings it is explained that the meaning of samsara is written by being under control of the delusion and karma. The aggregates, the samsara, the aggregates, by being under the control of the delusion then this present samsara aggregates join the, joining again and again, joining again and again to the future life. By being under the control of the delusion and karma and the present life, the samsara, the aggregates joining the future life again and again. Again and again. So that is what’s usually explained in the teachings, in the philosophical teachings. So way to understand how it joins, just little details talking, details trying to make clear, the different ways to think, can do in this way. The one thing, creating karma with this life, then one can is the other one, then just like this joins, how these aggregate like this it continues to the future life aggregate, so aggregates you see…

…continually like this. This is part of, whenever that happens that is the release from samsara. Whenever this continuity of aggregates has ceased, whenever we make them end we are free from samsara. Then we are not stuck any more in samsara by being under the control of delusions and karma.

The third one is the present aggregates caused by delusions are the base of the future lives’ sufferings of rebirth, old age, sickness and death. This also becomes the base of the present suffering of rebirth, sickness old age and death—these aggregates. Because of this samsara, the aggregates, we, the self is bound by delusion and karma and so we experience the suffering of rebirth; even when we come out of our mother’s womb we suffering the sufferings of sickness, old age and death. Then also, the suffering of suffering, changeable suffering and permeating suffering. Because of these samsaric aggregates the self has to be experience the suffering of suffering, changeable suffering and permeating suffering.

Actually this one shortcoming, I made two, but according to making five shortcomings of the samsaric aggregates, this aggregate, having been under the control of previous delusion and karma, has continuity—that is one. The second one is it has the continual seed of future lives suffering, the delusions. And this is the base of future lives’ suffering, rebirth, death, sickness—like this. This is the second shortcoming. Both of these future lives’ sufferings are the second shortcoming.

The third shortcoming of these aggregates is that this becomes the base of future lives’ suffering of rebirth, old age, sickness, and so forth.

The fourth shortcoming is that this becomes the base of suffering of suffering and changeable suffering.

The fifth shortcoming of the aggregates is that they are in the nature of permeating suffering. The suffering of rebirth, without need to repeat, also itself has five different ways to meditate, five shortcomings of the suffering of rebirth.

Even at the very beginning… first, before mentioning this, in the west we, including doctors and mothers, usually believe in the mother’s womb is so comfortable, so warm, so soft, like kind of lying down in a soft, warm bed, having sunshine—usually we think like this, but what we believe is not what the baby is experiencing there. It is just imagined, believed, trying to make it easy for the mind. That is not what the baby is experiencing.

Most babies suffer in the womb. Only fortunate ones, such as incarnate lamas, don’t feel pain in the mother’s womb. Kind of holy person, fortunate person, doesn’t feel pain and neither does the mother have pain when the baby comes out. The whole time mother feels very comfortable, there is no problem when the baby comes out—not like other babies. This is the experience of so many incarnate lamas’ mothers.

For instance, here we have one young incarnate lama whose previous life was Lama Yeshe’s guru, from whom he received so many teachings, not only that, but Geshe Sopa, one professor who has been teaching in the university in America for many years, and many hundreds and thousands of monks studied with him.

The teacher passed away in Tibet, but before that, he used to come often to the house of the present day incarnation’s father, who was that Geshe’s disciple, that time he was a monk, he did not lose ordination. Then as there was much fighting in Tibet, it was being taken by Chinese, there was not so much chance to give teachings, the reincarnation’s father’s father, who was a higher official, requested, “Why should you holy beings live? Since you have control of your minds, why don’t you pass away? Why you have to suffer under the Chinese, holy beings such as you, why don’t you pass away?” Then the Geshe agreed, “Oh, that’s very true.” He agreed. Then soon after that he passed away.

Afterwards, the incarnation’s father had to flee to another country and married a Nepalese woman. Then the Geshe was reincarnated to them. Before he passed away there was much talk that implied he was going to reincarnate to them. He said many things that were not common, symbolic things. This family had maybe eight or nine children and the mother had much pain when she gave birth to the other children, sometimes unbelievable pain, the husband had to worry so much about her. One time I was there in the house and she was in hospital. The father was so worried he didn’t care if the baby died, he just didn’t want the mother to die. I thought, kind of made me laugh in the mind, because if it is that much terrible suffering they shouldn’t work for that. So kind of made laugh in the mind, when the father was so worried.

When this reincarnation came, His Holiness Dalai Lama’s guru, our kind root guru Trijang Rinpoche was the one who checked, observed in many different ways, with special deities, whether this was the reincarnation of that geshe, even though there were many signs before.

Also, one very learned geshe, a very highly realized meditator, checked up astrologically and also said this is the incarnation of a very, very pure monk, so should be well taken care of when it comes out. Should have a Dharma life. Also many other people… there is one old nun in a nunnery at Swayambhunath, who used to make very accurate observations, and somebody asked her when the baby would come out and she mentioned it would come out on 25th day, she mentioned the exact day. They didn’t believe her even though they had asked her. Then, that day, the mother wasn’t feeling anything, they didn’t really expect anything to happen, and kind of there was a little movement and it started to come down and all of a sudden (the nun had said when the baby comes out should not go to hospital because of the pollution there, many sick people go there, and it is dangerous for fortunate person’s to get polluted, so shouldn’t give birth in hospital, give birth at home. Right after the baby comes out wrap it in yellow cloth, it is some signs.) So on that day, all of a sudden some movement happened, I think somehow they went to hospital, but without any pain it came out easily.

I am telling the story of this particular mother, but there are many other mothers from whom incarnate lamas were born, and not only reincarnate lamas. So such fortunate holy beings when they are born, the baby didn’t have pain in the womb, and also the mother doesn’t experience pain.

Normally, as the mother has much pain I think also the baby has much suffering in the womb. Also the visions are different in the womb for holy, fortunate beings and unfortunate beings. When they come into the mother’s womb, all the suffering visions and the holy beings have good visions, doesn’t feel any dirty things, doesn’t feel suffering.

The reason we don’t remember, we cannot say… the conclusion is, why we don’t remember how the consciousness took place, forget about remembering past lives and such things, just even the mother’s womb we don’t remember, what experience we had. Even when we were coming out of the mother’s womb we don’t even remember. After coming out, when the doctors’ spanked the babies (now they may be changing, before they believed… doesn’t matter), I heard in the west they pull the two legs here, put the head down and spank , for the breath to run, which many other countries do not do, but babies are born , I don’t think I got spanked and I think I am alive—it’s a completely other wrong idea, that without being spanked—I think the breath runs through the nose straight after coming out of the mother’s womb, it doesn’t need spanking.

Anyway, we don’t even remember the doctor spanking us and how the mother took care of us, sucking milk from the bottle or breast, whatever. Even when we couldn’t speak, what we did, how mother took care, we don’t remember. This is mainly through ignorance and also pollution in the mother’s womb, what makes us receive pollution is the ignorance, ignorance is the main cause. The pollution obscures the mind from remembering.

But our not remembering does not mean we did not suffer in the mother’s womb, it doesn’t prove that. Even the people who describe the rebirth, how it’s comfortable, warm all these things, even they don’t remember their own experience, how they lived in mother’s womb, how they came out. If they don’t remember, how can they explain to others? They just guess most times. Of course, I appreciate they have great knowledge, incredible knowledge, but just idea, by checking, if the eye cannot see suffering, believing it’s not suffering. To see many of these difficult points we need Dharma, or we need clear perception to remember, which is received through meditation, either to read other people’s thoughts, to remember one’s own and others’ past and future lives.

There is a doctor in France who wrote a book about his special skills, how to take the baby easily out of the mother’s womb. Also he explained how the baby is suffering. And there is one doctor from France who comes to study in India every year. He put many pictures in a book to show how babies suffer. I saw the book in New Zealand. This doctor explains so much, and you can figure out from the pictures, how the baby doesn’t want to be in the womb, how they are tired, due to the suffering, not wishing to be in mother’s womb, wanting to come out. Even you can understand from the attitude, the baby’s face, and the whole thing. He emphasizes so much how babies suffer.

In order to receive enlightenment depends on receiving the root bodhicitta. That depends on receiving the pure complete mind renouncing all samsara. That depends on having understanding of the shortcomings of samsara. Another way, one should realize how samsara is in the nature of suffering. In order to clearly see, to really feel how samsara is in the nature of suffering one has to, as Guru Shakyamuni has explained in the teachings, first one has to understand that by listening, then practice meditation. Then through the practice of meditation as one actualizes the meditations on the sufferings of samsara, one sees clearer and clearer, one really sees how samsara is… how to be in samsara even one hour, even a minute is unbearable, it’s just like living in a fireplace, can’t stand to be in samsara even for a minute, living in samsara for a minute without escape.

To receive the pure mind renouncing samsara, this is how we should feel, the kind of aversion we should feel to our own samsara is like this. One can’t stand even a minute or hour living in samsara. One time one feels just like being in a fireplace.

In regards to making the… this is specifically the shortcomings, the specific sufferings of each realm, this is the sufferings of the human realm, the samsara, the aggregates. So there are ways to meditate on the five shortcomings, the shortcomings of samsara, these aggregates, in five divisions.

These aggregates, which are caused by delusions, have been under control of previous delusion and karma. This sows a continual seed of future lives suffering, delusions, and this is the base of future lives suffering, rebirth, old age, sickness and death. This is the base of the present life’s suffering of rebirth, old age, sickness and death.

...when the consciousness takes place in the mother’s womb, that time in the stomach even the liquids are warm, even at the very beginning it’s just like falling into hot water, just like us falling into a pot of hot water – it’s like that when the consciousness takes place on the combination of egg in the mother’s stomach, already at the beginning suffering is like this.

As the body is fluid, it changes, according to the fluid it changes each week.

In the second week it becomes like curd and in the third week it becomes more solid, so that if you press it, it feels solid. Curd if pressed doesn’t feel solid. Already it started to become meat. In the fourth week it gets five bones, the four limbs, before kind of round then gets bigger and bigger—each month it develops into different shape. No need to explain all this in detail, it would take much time.

Also in each month a different air develops the body, making it spread. When the body starts to get bigger there is so much suffering. The body develops by the karmic air, then there is so much suffering during that time. Just like four pulling stretching out a dried animal skin on four sides—so much pain when the body starts to develop by the karmic air.

Gradually, as you meditate on this… there is a brief explanation in the teachings, in the course book, that is taken from Lama Tsongkhapa’s great commentary on the graduated path to enlightenment. Part of that is the meditation on the five different types of suffering of rebirth.

Then afterwards, the suffering of the baby. According to the mother’s movements, eating extremely cold and hot things, because of his previous karma the baby has incredible suffering. As the mother is running it’s like being taken by wind. When the mother is laying upside down, it’s like being pressed down by a mountain. When the mother wears a belt or thick clothing on her stomach, it’s like a fire, and the baby feels extremely hot inside.

Also, when it comes out there is unbelievable suffering. At 35 weeks then the nails and hair are completed, the breath comes through the mouth not the nose. The 36th week the baby hates to be in the mother’s womb. The 37th week, by karma, the baby has recognition of the pain and suffering, the filthy dirty, the bad smell, all the kaka and peepee, whole body is covered… The 38th week… there are different karmic airs, the baby gets upside down in the mother’s stomach. boys and girls have different ways of sleeping, but facing to the ribs, so 38th week, due to karmic air the baby turns upside down, head and hands are down. Then afterwards, when the time is finished to be in the womb, the karmic air pushes the baby down, as the baby has incredible aversion to living in the mother’s womb, so the karmic air pushes the baby down. Most times when the baby comes out the hand comes out. The head and hands come out.

Why the mother cannot feel the baby’s suffering is because mother’s and baby’s minds are different. Why the mother doesn’t know, cannot feel, the mother feels only the mother’s suffering, baby feels only own suffering, doesn’t feel the mother’s suffering. This is because their minds are different. They are two people, not one mind. If it was one mind the baby could feel the mother’s suffering, the discomfort, what food the mother is missing. If the mother is missing chocolate, the baby would know.

Also after the baby comes out, when the air passes to the baby’s body, the baby feels so sensitive to it, mainly due to previous karma. As even a little air passes the body, the baby feels it like a sword cutting the body. When our rough hands touch its body, it has much pain. No matter how much we wrap the body with the softest possible cloth it is the baby’s karma, it feels like falling in a thorny place. Coming out of the womb feels like when people produce oil from beans by pressing the beans between two beams. It is like the body being pressed between two rocky mountains, coming out of that, like being pressed between two wheels.

So much suffering the baby has. There are meditations outlined on the suffering of rebirth, then old age. When we meditate on rebirth we should visualize we are in mother’s womb, a baby, in the dark, living in a place full of kaka. During that time it’s like living inside a big toilet full of kaka, for all those months. To be in such a place even one minute we couldn’t stand. Similar for the baby in the mother’s womb. When you meditate can think like that.

For instance, even the food, which is spread in the teeth, after several hours, when the food is left in the teeth, what a horrible smell it has, like kaka, without questioning the stomach!

To meditate on old age, remember in the west, our grandparents and other old people, who have lost sense power, the ability to hear etc., mind incapable of comprehending, as you can remember from old folks’ homes. Ask yourself, do I want to experience that? Of course we never want to become like that, the answer is automatic, we don’t want to experience that.

To make the meditation stronger, to feel a stronger aversion to suffering of old age, visualize yourself in that position, as that old person, and think how the body and mind are incapable to do anything, to practice Dharma, even to do the usual worldly work, the daily work. There are five outlines and all the sufferings of old age are included in them. Even when you want to go somewhere you can’t go, you can’t walk. Even if you want to cook your own desirable food, you cannot walk. If you want to see beautiful things you can’t see clearly. If you want to here interesting things, you cannot hear. So many things, losing all the pleasures that you used to feel before, not able to feel them any more.

Also one upsetting thing is as the body gets older and older, decays, the hair getting white, all this going inside, body becoming like this, even the vision not clear, other people who used to be your friends don’t take care any more. Other people don’t have so much interest in you. Why? Because you look ugly. Why don’t they stay around and help you? Why they don’t care? Because they think I am old, I am ugly. People don’t like so much, don’t pay so much attention. Also young people tease old people who cannot control. Very upset mind because when the shape changes young people don’t take care, don’t take out so much.

Many times in the west even the sons and daughters don’t care any more, even if the parents are incapable. First the parents send them to school, college, university, take care of them all the time, all this and this and this, so much work to take care of them. After some time, when the children have grown up, by the education they have received through the kindness of the parents, when they can walk and feed themselves – they don’t take care of their parents once their body changes shape, mind becomes…, don’t care any more for them. They want to get rid of the parents as quickly as possible. They also wish them to die soon as they find it difficult to take care of them.

Then when they think they are not any more capable, even before that, they send to old folks’ home. Going to old folks home is like saying I’m going to die, it’s kind of the end of the life. They leave the home where the children are living, go to the old folk’s home—it’s the end of their life.

Sometimes, if they are capable, they make phone calls from the old folks’ home, they are missing the family so much. They write the will, then make phone call home.

“How are you?”

“How are you, mother?”

Then, nothing to say. “Oh I am alright.” They answer like that, the way of speaking explains the unhappiness of life.

Sometimes, if the children have a close relationship to the parents, those who have a little consideration for the parents come to visit them, otherwise not.

I tried to visit an old folk’s home in California, but there was no time so I didn’t see. So I went to see one in Wisconsin. One of the students who had lived their several years, Laurilea, had been working in the old folk’s home as a nurse, feeding the old people. She took Lama Yeshe and myself and some other students from California, and another Tibetan boy who lives in America. She was saying this place had somewhat better conditions, better housing.

So we went to see the most horrible ones, the worst ones. It looks like they are suffering if death doesn’t happen soon. Their wishing to die soon doesn’t mean they see what path they will take, what rebirth they will have, human being or whatever. It doesn’t mean they see the future life, that they will have good death. It is because they cannot stand this suffering, this situation, so the person makes a decision, being completely ignorant of karma, of past and future lives, they believe it is a blank, nothing happens after death. Sometimes they kill themselves if they can.

We went to see the ones in the most horrible conditions in the men’s part and the women’s part. There was one very old woman, over 100, maybe 103, not sure. Sometimes she speaks a little bit; the body was very thin and fragile. They told us this old lady just—she gets this from the person next to her. I’m not sure what she thinks she can do with the… Maybe she can take it to the future life.

Then there was an old woman laying down like wood. There are different diseases. One old woman just repeats the same word over and over and over, all the time. That time they were feeding them. All the bananas have to be cut into small pieces and you have to spoon it into their mouths. I couldn’t believe how the nurses had incredible patience, spending time to look after these old men. How those young people have so much patience, not feeling dirty, like that.

The nurse gave one old mother the food, but the mother rejected it, she said she didn’t want it. Afterwards she accepted, I think out of concern for the nurse. I think according to her desire, she didn’t like it, but she considered the nurse trying to take care of her, that she might feel upset if she refuses the food, so after thinking, she took it back.

When they sit on the chair, it’s exactly like it’s described in the teachings. The chair is here, there is that much space, the body has no control to sit down slowly, so even from here when the body goes down it makes incredible noise, like falling down a long way. They scream so much just going down that far.

In order to arise strong aversion to one’s own samsara, first you try to look at the outside, what you have seen, then secondly, put yourself in that situation, visualize how it is, try to feel the suffering of old age.

Put yourself in that situation, how you feel it, the suffering of old age. It is the nature, those are the shortcomings of samsara, the aggregates, it is the nature of samsara. It is shortcomings of samsara.

Then after that… before I forgot to tell after the rebirth, the suffering of rebirth is unbearable, like after rebirth, the suffering of rebirth is unbearable, remember the example being stuck in the dirty, like big toilet, like you yourself living like that. Remember the example of being like that. Then, like living like that in the womb, I think that is.

Then after meditation on rebirth, think, the incredible sufferings of rebirth, then you emphasize, if I don’t try to escape from samsara and renounce the cause of samsara the attachment, then i will have to experience such as this suffering endlessly, emphasize like this, the conclusion is this. In this way the sufferings of the samsara, the aggregates, the meditation on suffering of rebirth what we have done, itself becomes the technique to destroy the cause of samsara, the attachment. In that way the meditation what we did on suffering, itself becomes method, weapon to destroy the cause of samsara, the attachment.

Similar after the meditation on old age and suffering. Same thing, like this, after the meditation on sickness, since there are all kinds of different sicknesses, when you meditate on sickness, you should meditate on all types of horrible things, whatever most horrible thing that you can think of, you can visualize, if you have sick patient then like that, you put yourself in that situation and try to feel it, how it is. Then again after this meditation you make the conclusion, “If I don’t try to escape away from the shortcomings of the samsara, if I don’t try to escape away from samsara, renounce the cause, the attachment, I will have to experience this endlessly,” you think.

Then the suffering of suffering. That is as I explained at the beginning of the course. In the suffering of suffering it comes all the suffering, the suffering of not finding the desirable objects. In this outline of suffering of suffering, it goes not receiving, not finding desirable objects. Then even one has found the desirable object, but the suffering of not being satisfied. Then meeting the undesirable object, suffering, the suffering of meeting the undesirable object. Then the suffering of suffering—besides the suffering of rebirth, old age, sickness and death, besides these four, the other suffering of suffering. So how to do a mediation on that, the suffering of suffering, that is the suffering first of all of not finding the desirable object; secondly, the suffering of even if its found, but not satisfied; then suffering of meeting the undesirable object, like this.

On this part I am not going repeat, then if you just a meditation on the usual human problems, like you talk about social problems, or something like that, people or groups who try to help each family problems, each person, in each family what problems they have, try to check up. The whole thing that comes in the newspaper. The whole suffering what is in newspaper, the whole thing, all what you see on television, the whole thing which you see in movie, all these sufferings are included in these five shortcomings of samsara, the human being, the aggregates, the samsara, the aggregates.

All the time when you watch movies, when you watch television, in the newspaper, all the time there are people suffering, not finding the desirable objects, always you can find there; and always you can find people suffering, meeting undesirable objects. Different countries, different families, even each person, not having found this, missing this, there are so many problems. Often not having house, not having food, there are so many things, all the time. Also half of the suffering what you can see is the suffering of meeting the undesirable object.

Often having small wages, not increasing, there are so many things, meeting the undesirable object. Strikes on the airplanes, ship strikes, there are so many things, meeting undesirable objects. People that have to go then they suffer, also themselves who make strike suffer by meeting the undesirable object, one thing more money, like this. Always there are problems or explosion of bomb, meeting the undesirable object in fire, so much fire problems, house get burned, all the people get killed.

Either people kill themselves, or are killed by some other people, some other people, what is it called, people get stolen from the road? Kidnapped, many times people get kidnapped, other people that kidnapped, then they torture the parent, you should give us such a million dollars, if you don’t give i will kill your daughter, i will kill your son. The parents have to give a lot of money, or they are poor parent and they have to get money from other people, their boss, their mother, people, they owe a lot of money, how can they say, how dare they say, oh you can kill my daughter. So the poor parents, owe many millions of dollars, for a lifetime, even, even in lifetime they can’t give back the money. Even those people get the money still they kill, still they kill the people, because if they allow the person, if they let the person to go out, then the other person creates problems, then those who kidnapped they get problem in the future as well. Its like this.

Even one has met the desirable object, one is not satisfied, like this.

Actually what they show in the movies, most of the movies, many of the movies they just made it up, stories made up. When you see a movie there are always couple problems, not finding a wife, wife not finding husband or running off with another, for that reason one group they try to fight each other or try to kill each other, most of the movies like this. Being jealous or proud, one person jealous of another one who has everything. Many of the movies they stories are made up, but actually it is what is happening that is said as an example of usual our human beings life, what is showing in the movies is always an example, it’s a copy.

Usually, normally we don’t look at our own life story as a movie, we don’t watch like that, but actually what is showing there it is showing the life story of oneself. Actually it is what happening in the world, what human beings are suffering.

Also many times in the movies, the other people who make movies, they try to create idea, how to steal in such clever way, how to give harm, how to destroy others in sneaky way, without letting other people to know, always showing sneaky way, what you can do, sneaky way many times they create idea, then they shown in movie. Often the people afterwards, people who watch the movie, then they take the imprint of the movie, they take the imprint, then they practice, movie is like the teaching, the graduated path to enlightenment. Then they practice the teaching of the graduate path to enlightenment, or the graduated path to the lower realms. Then they really practice, they put into action very well, whether I can steal like that, using that way. If they have such good enjoyments, good cloth or good drinks, then you want to catch that drink you want to catch that cloth.

If you just visualize the whole city, the whole people in that city, then think, again like watching movie you watch the city, the whole people you watch, like watching movie. There is nothing outside to look at, like the movie what we can see, what we can remember the whole thing visualize, the visualization is part of the movie. Costless movie. It is another picture, visualization. You watch and check, how all these people running in the space, in the airplanes (sound of airplane in background of tape), running on the ground, living in the house, all these things, you just watch. If you check up, whether all these people are involved or not in the suffering of not finding the desirable object, you can find so many if you just check up their minds, not so much the body, it’s more that you have to watch their mind. body doing different things, going to space, going to town, going to the shops, to the houses—but more that you watch the mind, try to read the mind, then you can find suffering, having the suffering of not having the desirable object, or meeting the undesirable object, you can clearly see, suffering of not being satisfied when it’s found, you can see clearly like this.

In the evening you meet with the person who has the expensive car, who has rich clothes, even you listen, at the beginning it looks kind of nice, beautiful, but as you hear kind of on and on then afterwards then you hear life problems, at the beginning you don’t hear, then on and on as you continue to listen, then afterwards you can hear life problems, something’s not right, something’s wrong, hear some problems. After you listen more the same thing, if you talk, if you listen better, same thing, they talk life problems, something is not right. Whether the person looks rich or the person looks poor it’s the same they all have their own different life problems.

Then changeable suffering. Before I mention that, I would like to tell… the very first time that i saw English movie in India, some friends took me to see and so, in that movie (RL) there was much fighting, before i did not see that, did not see like that movie, its a color English movie. I was very, very young, so i was very, very scared, so scared, very, very scared to see that movie, and i prayed and prayed many times to not be reborn in that country. This i remember very clearly, this might be not more than 10 years old. Kind of so busy, incredibly busy, airplanes and things like that, and fighting and so busy. So I completely decided in my mind, prayed many times that i not be reborn there. This is just talking about what I did in child time.

The changeable suffering, second thing, the suffering of suffering and the changeable suffering. That is why is it said that there is no true happiness in the samsara. Through this you can understand how there no true happiness in samsara, ultimate happiness.

The whole thing about samsara, it is only the nature of samsara, samsaric happiness, perfections, the aggregates, the whole thing is in the nature of suffering. We can understand this by understanding the changeable suffering. Many times we think, that is not true, there is pleasure, i experience pleasure, there is pleasure, this is not the nature of suffering, i know that.

By explaining this then you can understand, the changeable suffering is like this.

After we sit down, after some time, we would get pain on the leg, on the backside, on the leg, then thinking it is better to stand up. When we stand up that time we feel pleasure, that time we think “I’m comfortable, I’m happy; i am experiencing pleasure,” like this.

The base on which we call pleasure is this. Right after we stand up, after experiencing pain, then that time the pain of sitting, the trouble of sitting, that stopped, that got stopped from the heavy pain, that sitting, the pain of sitting got stopped from the heavy pain, the heavy pains of the sitting starts to stop. After standing then what happens, better to stand up, then we stand up. At the beginning we think “i am experience pleasure, I’m happy,” then slowly, as we stand more and more, afterwards we get tired of standing. How that tiredness of standing come, it doesn’t come all of a sudden like this, now the tiredness of standing comes, there is no such kind of time, like this, coming, the whole tiredness of standing coming at one time—its not like that. What it is as we stand up the heavy pain of sitting starts to stop, from the heavy side, from the heavy pain, but at the same time this tiredness of standing already started at the beginning, but it started how, it started by little by little, small by small. It started from small and the heavy pain of sitting got stopped from the heavy pain but the tiredness of standing, at the same time, started from small. So the heavy pain of sitting stops, the tiredness of standing that starts to increase from the small, right after you stand, that started to increase from the small. That feeling, during that time, that is the base on which we call “pleasure,” that is the base on which we call “I’m comfortable I’m happy,” we discriminate, we call like this on that feeling. So this tiredness of standing then gradually [cat meowing].

At the beginning we don’t feel, when it is very small we don’t feel it, we don’t recognize it. So after when it becomes heavier then we feel it, we recognize it, only when it becomes heavier. It’s logical that the tiredness of standing doesn’t come like this ( clicks his fingers), like something dropping. Not tiredness of standing comes like something dropped on your head, not like this. Same thing with pleasure….

After you feel cold by being in the shadow of the house, by feeling cold, when we come out into the sun, right that time the heavy suffering of cold stops, from the greatly heavy, but at the same time the suffering of feeling hot, right after we enter the sun, the suffering of feeling hot at the same time. When the suffering of feeling cold stopped from being heavy, at the same time the suffering of feeling hot starts from small, at the same time. So at the beginning we don’t feel, when that happens we call it pleasure, that feeling we call pleasure. Actually if you check up the base which we call pleasure, you don’t find anything there.

The conclusion is that we call pleasure to another type of suffering, making clear is like this. We call another type of suffering, pleasure, the base on which we call is just suffering, the suffering of the hot starts to increase from the small. So the base is the suffering, just calling pleasure to another type of suffering. So how our pleasure does not last, pleasure of feeling warm, feeling good by being in the sun, by feeling very cold being in the shadows, so then how our pleasure does not last, how it gradually disappears, like the cloud disappears gradually, dissolves gradually disappears in the street, like that our pleasure dissolves, disappears, becomes smaller and smaller.

How that happens, the experience is this. The suffering of hot already started from the very beginning from the small, then gradually increases from the small, as that gradually increases the feeling, which is another type of suffering, the feeling on which we call pleasure, that is not anymore existing, because that feeling becomes greater suffering of being hot, of hot suffering. So, as there is no more that base, no more that previous base on which you called pleasure, so it seems to oneself as though the pleasure is decreasing, the pleasure has gone away, the pleasure becomes smaller, it appears to oneself like this. We see now that this is very logical, our experience.

Also from this you can understand Shunyata, this explanation itself is explanation of Shunyata, another way one can understand. You can see clearly how there is no real, truly existing pleasure and suffering, you can see. It is mainly up to the mind, there is not so much to this, it is mainly up to the mind, whether it is pleasure or it is suffering.

These are just two examples but we should make it similar to others, the changeable suffering. The whole samsaric pleasure which ordinary beings believe is real happiness, real pleasure, the nature of that is suffering, it is like this.

It is in the nature of suffering, that’s why it doesn’t last. If its pleasure, if its happiness, if it is not in the nature of suffering, it would last, it would last, it would carry on, it would increase, more and more, like the happiness of Dharma, like the blissful state of nirvana, the blissful state of peace. But why it doesn’t last that is because its in the nature of suffering.

The third one: to imagine suffering, to imagine suffering. These aggregates, at the birth time, even, right at the very beginning, at the birth time, it is born, it is born in the nature of suffering. It is born with suffering. It is born with suffering. From very beginning at the birth, mind and body is born, the mind and body is born, at the very beginning, mind and body born in the nature of suffering. Even the very first second of birth, mind and body is in the nature of suffering, being under the control of previous delusion and karma, being under the control of previous delusion and karma, and also having the continuum of seed, continuum of seed of future life suffering, future lives suffering.

Permeating suffering is like this, very simple like this. You see in our body, on our body, you know, if there is a tiny thorn, even so very tiny like a hair, very, very tiny, little bit concrete, little bit solid thin like hair, very pointed thing like thorn, in the feet, hands or on the head, wherever it goes, even there is no tiny pore on our body, even there not one tiny pore [audience mumbles], oh not purse, purse is money, oh i mixed it together, pore, even when there’s not one tiny pore the place which is taken by the tiny point of the thorn is the, like tiny pore, it doesn’t take the whole body, just tiny pore, but incredible pain we get, so much pain we get, so much pain, so much pain we have. Even tiny thorn goes in the pore, in one pore, how much one pain we get, we have to take it out right away.

Even that tiny size, there’s not that tiny a place that if the thorn goes in, even the thorn goes, we don’t suffer, that we don’t feel pain.

That proves, that clarifies, that clarifies permeating suffering, that proves that there’s not even one tiny, body like that, which is free from delusion and karma, which is free from delusion and karma, which is not bound by delusion and the karma. If it is not bound by delusion and karma, we wouldn’t experience pain, we wouldn’t experience pain in the finger, so this proves even there is not even one tiny place, tiny place, one tiny place, where the suffering has no power, where the suffering is not permeated, where the suffering is not permeated, [Rinpoche checks with audience the word] permeate, where the suffering is not permeate, there is not even one tiny place where the suffering is not permeated, so, that means, even there’s no tiny place which is free from delusion and karma. This clearly explains, doesn’t it? Every where there is a problem, headache, ordinary headache problem, head has a problem, leg has a problem, isn’t it, every part where there is pain, in the—to get sick, always you become uncomfortable, all this, this proves, all this shows the permeating suffering. I think I stop here.

Then the meditation, you remember, what I explained, that you can remember or if you don’t remember then you look at the notes. You have to emphasize, after each meditation on the different suffering you have to emphasize, you have to try to understand, this is the nature of samsara, this nature of samsara, the aggregates, the aggregates, you know, caused by the delusion, nature of samsara. Then we emphasize afterwards emphasize, if I don’t escape, this time, if I don’t escape from samsara, all the samsaric suffering, I will have to endlessly suffer like, emphasize like this.

Ge wai de....

Lecture 34

I must achieve enlightenment in order to enlighten all the kind mother sentient beings, therefore I am going to listen to the teachings on the graduated path to enlightenment. The listening subject is the Mahayana teaching that creates the cause of enlightenment. It is well expounded by the great Mahayana philosophers Nagarjuna and Asanga. It is a profound teaching by the highly realized bodhisattva Atisha and the Dharma King of the world, Lama Tsongkhapa. The teaching contains all the essence of the 84,000 teachings shown by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha and these teachings of the gradual practice are set up for one person achieving enlightenment and this is the path that the past, present and future Buddha have received enlightenment.

There are three outlines, how to make the guru practice which is root of the path and how to train the mind in the gradual path by following the guru. [some missing] It has two outlines, how to make the guru practice, which is the root of the path, and how to train the mind the mind in this graduated path by following the guru. The whole path is divided into three, this is from the graduated path of the lower intelligent beings in general.

Refuge, which is the fundamental method to guide oneself, to escape from the suffering of the lower realms and to escape from suffering of samsara and also by oneself receiving enlightenment can enlighten all other sentient beings. Can guide other sentient beings. This is the fundamental method.

The outlines of refuge: cause of refuge, object of refuge, which I talked briefly yesterday, and taking refuge and the precepts of refuge.

The objects of refuge have two outlines: objects of refuge, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; and how the Buddha is a worthwhile object of refuge. This has four basic outlines or reasons how the Buddha is a worthwhile object of refuge. The first reason is Buddha is completely free from the fears of all sufferings, fears of own suffering. He is released from the fear of all suffering as he has received enlightenment.

The enlightenment that Buddha has received is the state completely purified of all the delusions that hinder us to receive even the lower nirvana and also all the subtle obscurations to knowledge completely purified. It is a state which is perfected in all knowledge and realizations. By this, we can understand since He is free from all the cause of suffering, the dualistic mind, the suffering of obscurations, the delusions which disturb from nirvana. This is the root of suffering, the root of the fear. So therefore, since he is completely free from the cause of suffering, the cause of fear, he is completely free from the fears of all the sufferings.

First you think of the meaning of enlightenment, then you think that is how, the delusions, dualistic mind, the subtle obscurations, the root of the sufferings and the root of fear, so since he is free of all this naturally he is free from the fear of all the sufferings.

Talking about stories of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha when he was in India. There happened many signs that show that Guru Shakyamuni Buddha was free of the fears of his own sufferings. When Guru Shakyamuni Buddha was going to receive enlightenment, at dawn time, before that all the maras, the evil beings, hundreds of thousands of maras, first of all the king of maras discovered that if Guru Shakyamuni Buddha receive enlightenment he would conquer the whole world, also himself ... so all the maras gathered, they had a meeting. Then they proposed how to destroy Guru Shakyamuni Buddha before he could receive enlightenment ... then they produced a heavy storm- very dark thick fog much lightening and floods all around and then so many thousands of them tried to destroy Guru Shakyamuni Buddha by using many different weapons arrows’ some of the maras carried big mountains, trying to drop thunderbolt, also in previous times they used to have a special wheel which turns by itself, has some power, whosever neck you want to cut off by this wheel then you just think. The wheel turns according to thought. So many ways they try to destroy Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. However, whatever they throw, arrows etc., when it reached in the presence of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha all is transformed into flowers instead of hurting Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. In a rough way, unpeaceful way, they tried to destroy but could not harm.

Then by peaceful way they tried to destroy Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s concentration ... no matter how they try unpeaceful violent ways but they never destroy Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s concentration, never make to move, not even one single movement. So maybe they thought peaceful way to destroy Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. Then they transformed into beautiful lady without any clothes on, beautiful ladies, old ladies, transformed and danced in his presence, thinking in this way he may get out of his concentration, thinking as an ordinary person he has attachment but how much they try they couldn’t destroy anything in his concentration. Without moving even one minute away from his concentration of the great love, all the hundreds of thousands of maras they could never give harm, they are completely subdued by the concentration of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha on great love. This shows that Guru Shakyamuni is free of all the fears of suffering.

Also one evil person ... who wears the rosary of 99 people ... who were killed by him; he made a rosary with their nails ... he wear their rosary, he tries to harm Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, no matter how much he tries to run after Guru Shakyamuni Buddha who walks as usual but this evil person no matter how fast he runs he never catches, he never gets close to his holy body walking slowly. Then after that he is surprised, he tried to harm Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. Also happen like this which shows that he was free from the fears of suffering. Also the maras, after they could not give him any harm by trying different ways then they got incredible devotion to Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. They could see that Guru Shakyamuni Buddha had no problems, with attachment, like this. After that Guru Shakyamuni Buddha gave teachings to the maras.

Also one day Guru Shakyamuni Buddha and his follower arhats, they went into the city for begging (at that time all the monks and nuns live on begging, trying to practice contentment. Every day they went into the city begging for alms). There is one evil king who never liked, always wanted to give harm to Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. One day when Guru Shakyamuni Buddha and his follower arhats were coming for begging he send in the field one mad elephant. So when the mad elephant comes nearby, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s follower arhats, with their psychic powers flew into space, into the sky, when they saw the elephant, but Guru Shakyamuni Buddha did not fly to the sky, even though he has all the psychic powers. When the great elephant comes into the presence of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, instead of harming Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, as King Madgeya expected, the elephant could not harm him, it was automatically subdued, changed. Just by coming into the presence of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, it automatically changed and the elephant was laying down and Guru Shakyamuni Buddha blessed the elephant. Then, maybe through the good karma of the animal and Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s ability to communicate with them, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha asked why he had come and where he was from, what was his previous life, by Shakyamuni Buddha’s power, by blessing him, by purifying the obscurations somehow makes the animal to remember previous lives. Other things like that many times happen in Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s time. That also shows that Guru Shakyamuni is completely free from the fear of his own suffering—the arhats flew in the sky.

One family who believed Guru Shakyamuni Buddha was ordinary person, who can be harmed by poison, by poisonous food, one day he invited Guru Shakyamuni Buddha for meal. So this family (Tinpa Pangye was the head of the family), how they arranged to give harm Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. The road that leads to the door of the house they make a deep long hole where they put fire inside, then on the surface they covered by dust. When some body walks is easy to fall down into the fire.

Like this they made a hole. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha accepted the invitation to come, and in the morning Guru Shakyamuni Buddha came to the house. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha came first with the followers after, when Guru Shakyamuni Buddha came on the dangerous path there was a lovely flower growing, lotus flower on the path, so Guru Shakyamuni Buddha escaped, he walked on the lovely lotus towards the house. Besides not falling down he went to the home. After that when they offered lunch they put poison in the lunch then after they offered food to him and his followers, as Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is a holy being who has received omniscient mind so there is not one single obscuration to his understanding...

…so he realized what harm they wanted to give, so Guru Shakyamuni Buddha tells his followers don’t touch or eat the food before I start.

Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, even he is cut or hurt by whatever makes ordinary person to die right away, as he has received enlightenment there is not one single danger as ordinary person by eating poison. Besides that he has power to transform the poison into nectar. Even though it is poison in view of ordinary people, for holy beings who have received enlightenment, such as GSB, it’s always nectar, when it gets in contact with his holy tongue there is not one single unsweet taste, bad taste—all the unsweet tastes that ordinary beings find, all the sour taste impure, unsweet which is in not delicious taste, all the non-delicious food always taste like nectar, it is impossible for him to experience a bad taste, only feels blissfulness. Even the robes, touching Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s holy body, all the sense objects for Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, only become cause for blissfulness.

So then, nothing happened, none of his followers were sick or died. Then afterwards, the family all were extremely surprised that nothing had happened. Then they got incredible devotion, then they did confession in front of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, “we put poison, we are very sorry,” with so much devotion.

[BREAK]

If there are two people, both people get drowned in the ocean. If one person takes refuge in the other person who is in the same suffering, in being drowned, no matter how much he takes refuge in the other one can’t help because, why? Because he is not free, is in the same suffering. He is not free from his own suffering. No matter how much the person takes refuge can’t guide.

Like this with any of the gods; the Sun and Moon, Brahmin, Laxmi, the many gods of the sura and the king of the suras. Also taking refuge in the spirits, spirit who can predict a little bit, these gods, there are many samsaric gods, like this that can give all little bit of help, who have little bit of power. Also spirits, certain pretas, when people take refuge can give a little help in wealth to become wealthy—temporal help. But this cannot guide, they don’t even have the power to guide oneself from the rebirth of the lower transmigrator, don’t even have this power. Because of the small power they can predict, to tell about future like this how material possessions can increase. Also people who do black magic they take refuge in the spirit who can harm other people and they take refuge in the spirit who help the person to have the power to harm others. Like this they believe as object of ultimate refuge.

They cannot guide. Why they cannot guide is because they themselves are just an example like the people who are drowning. These gods or spirits themselves are not free from samsaric suffering, they are living in samsara as the ordinary person who takes refuge in them. Same thing, this subject, object of refuge that ordinary beings take refuge in, who are not beyond samsara cannot guide. Cannot guide even to not be born as another suffering transmigrator. Without question they cannot guide other sentient beings to release from samsara. Also those guides one cannot trust in this life not sure they will always give help. Sometimes they give help if there mind is happy. If their mind is not happy with that person they don’t help, they give harm. Always not sure, not definite to trust to give help in this life. Just same as ordinary friend can’t trust always to be friend and to receive help, just the same with those gods. Because they have attachment the gods and spirits they have attachment, they have partial mind—to give harm to someone to give help to someone—they don’t have infinite compassion like Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. If the person completely relies on them there is danger that one gets betrayed by completely trusting or relying on them.

One time it happened in Tibet, near Lhasa, one old man he was going back home at night time, he had to sleep on the mountain where there is spirit. There are different types of spirits, spirits of the country, spirits of specific villages. Before human being, they died with anger and born as very harmful spirits, there are different spirits like this, who died with one spiteful mind.

Then this old man slept on the mountain where there are piles of stone. In Tibet on the mountain where there are spirits they pile up stones and build kind a small square throne and put many prayer flags ... They used to do like this.

So this old man had a goiter and he slept there. At night time the spirits had a meeting at their usual place. So that spirit who is on the mountain, it is his turn to give invitation for the other spirits, to his party, to give invitations to other spirits—his turn. This man he laid down there taking refuge in this spirit to protect his life. What happened was the spirit used the old man, his body for the invitation of the others and the old man took refuge in him, so what he did, he took the goiter from the old man. The next morning the old man woke up from his sleep, he did not have any goiter, he feels kind of empty there, he feels very comfortable, so happy not having any goiter.

After he went home everybody was surprised he came back without the goiter, how it happened? Everybody wanted to know so there is another old person who had a goiter, so this other old man asked how he did it. The man explained how he spent one night there and took refuge completely relying on the spirit like this and in the morning the goiter was taken off. Then the other old man “I want the spirit also to take of my goiter.” Then the old man was completely believing and he purposely went there to sleep—the other old man did not come purposely came from his village to sleep on that mountain expecting that spirit to take away his goiter. Then he slept there and that night the spirit did not use that other previous goiter, did not use because that was non delicious meat, you see, not good taste. So he did not use for the invitation. This goiter, the spirit put the previous goiter on the other goiter. When he woke up he got double goiter, instead of the spirit taking off the previous goiter, he got another goiter. There are many examples like this. First person gets help and then afterwards they give harm like this. So just can’t trust completely.

Usually whom we can take refuge with—it might come afterwards, but doesn’t matter. Those samsaric gods, who are not out of samsara is like a friend. We can ask a friend can you do this and that, but we can’t take refuge in the friend to be free from all samsara to free from all suffering like that, can’t take refuge, cannot guide, is not an object of refuge. Like a friend we can ask temporal help but not to give ultimate refuge, they are sort of like a temporal help as a friend, but are not an object to whom we can prostrate. These samsaric gods, no matter how powerful they are, as long they are not free from suffering, not beyond samsara cannot prostrate, not object to make prostration. Not object to take refuge.

If you prostrate it means taking refuge. Prostration, chag.tsal.lo, chag means asking, requesting the object, in order to escape from the suffering of the lower realms of samsara, and from the obscurations to knowledge, all the subtle obscurations. To receive rebirth of the happy transmigrator, receive nirvana, to receive enlightenment. In order mainly to receive enlightenment; for that reason taking refuge with devotion. Actual prostration contains refuge, when it becomes real, not just body exercise but when it really becomes purifying prostration then it contains refuge.

Cannot prostrate to the beings who are not out of samsara, wrong object to prostrate, can’t take refuge. If you take refuge in someone who is not out of samsara, if prostrate, makes to lose the ordination of refuge. It is not pure refuge. Even if one takes refuge in Buddha, again taking refuge in someone who is not free from samsara, it doesn’t become pure refuge.

Lecture 35

I’m going to listen to the teaching of the gradual path to enlightenment for the benefit of all kind mother sentient beings. We are in the part of the subject from the graduated path of the middle intelligent being, and in general. Yesterday was a brief introduction to the five shortcomings of the human beings samsara, the aggregates caused by delusion. If someone does not remember or didn’t understand well can ask the leader or check the notes. Sometimes mistakes from my mouth, sometimes mistake of your thinking. It is important to know the five shortcomings, the suffering of the human beings which are contained in these five—the human beings’ aggregates, which are caused by delusions. Also, when you make retreat on the graduated path to liberation, you can read the notes and use them for meditation. Since the whole subject is not completed in the meditation course, it’s good to do like this.

The particular sufferings of the asuras—they have such heavy karmic obscurations. In that life it is impossible to fully realize absolute nature as they have such karmic obscurations. They are always have the suffering of being killed by fighting suras and they are full of the suffering of miserliness. They have beautiful wives, so the suras always take them away, so they are always fighting with each other. The suras take away with force the wives of the asuras. The asuras when they fight with the suras always get killed, whenever the weapon cuts any part of the limb they easily get killed. The suras, as long as their neck is not cut no matter any other part of the body how much it is cut it always grows, does not become cause for death. Only when the neck is cut then it becomes cause of, in that way cutting the neck of suras they die. The way the asuras can kill suras is only by cutting the neck.

The Suras are much more powerful than the asuras. The suras have elephants that blow when they breathe out, very powerful elephants, no matter how many powerful weapons the asuras have, by the power of the, when the elephant breathes out, it is like an incredible strong wind that destroys houses, like that incredibly strong, it destroys even the whole group of the asuras and their weapons, completely are destroyed, by one breath whole group is completely scattered. Almost impossible that the asuras can win over the suras because of the power of the suras.

Then always the woman stay in the house, the man goes to fight and the family and wives stays at home. They have a special lake is like mirror, whatever fighting happen how they fight they can see in the lake, how many asuras got killed. It’s like a mirror like a movie. So when their friend or husband gets killed they can see in the lake, they feel so upset, so worried. The Suras who fight with the asuras, they are the Gods of Desire. Asura and sura are called Gods of desire. There are form and formless gods, worldly form and worldly formless gods and the gods of desire, who have all five senses and use all five senses to enjoy objects, which is different to the world of form and formless. So asuras and suras who are fighting each other they are gods of desire.

The suras have also much suffering; during the lifetime killing each other, cutting, being killed, having suffering of body being cut, also suffering of being controlled by another sura who has greater enjoyment, greater material power. Like in the human world the poor people are controlled by the rich people, kind of controlled by the power of material possessions. So it is like that, also having much suffering of being controlled by other gods who has greater material power and enjoyments, getting kicked out of their places.

Their greatest suffering is sign of death, when they receive the sign of death. There are about five signs…

One of the five signs of death is, if death is going to happen after seven days then, when there is just seven days to live, when that time starts they hear from the sky, they hear a voice. “It is time for your death.” After that, he starts to experience the five signs of the death:

1) The sura doesn’t, his mind becomes dislike to his usual bed. Like sometimes when we are at home we feel like sitting on our usual bed, feels very comfortable—it is much greater than this. The mind starts to dislike the usual bed.

2) Usually they wear flowers on the body, usually it does not, usually it does not become old, it is the result of their karma, they don’t rot or become old. Then at that time the flowers start to become old, their flower rosaries become old, decayed.

3) Usually there bodies never get dusty, always very shiny, very beautiful body, not like our body—no dirty smells like we have. Usually there is no dirt on their body, as ours get dirty after some time. Then that time they get dirt and the dust stays on their body.

4) Usually their clothes never get smells like our clothes. Their clothes never smell, but at death time their clothes get bad smells. I don’t remember exactly.

5) These gods are called “three duration” or “three period one.” Three times or three durations. Dak sum pa. Dak means time. Why they are called this is because at death time they can remember their past lives, when they experience the sign of death they can remember previous life where they came from and they can see, they know the present life... they’re missing ... they know they are going to separate from the property, the body, the friends. He knows he is going to leave all his enjoyments. He knows this. He sees, he knows where he came from his past life. He sees how he lives this present life and he is missing so much. Incredible worry to separate from these great enjoyments. He sees terrible images of his future life, what rebirth he is going to take—plainly sees, and he sees the surrounding place. As he sees, if he is to be born even a human being he sees how horrible place it is. Not that much enjoyment, material possessions. He knows that he has to be born in such a realm. So incredible mental suffering the god has.

Like us for instance. When an ordinary human being dies they can’t see clearly, can’t remember past life, can’t see clearly future rebirth ... if a person is going to be born as animal or preta or narak can’t see clearly suffering place. The person can’t clearly see. If the person can remember, can see while he is dying in the process of death, if he can see the future life, it is unbelievable, the suffering is much more greater. Besides the suffering of so much worry—to separate from possessions, on the basis of that he if he can see the future life in the suffering realm then that is without question unbelievable suffering. So the ordinary person can’t see the future suffering realm. They have suffering of not wanting to separate and suffering with the karmic visions which happen at the death time, but can’t see clearly the future suffering realm. So the suras can see very clearly the future suffering realms that they are going to. This is incredibly unbelievable mental suffering during those seven days. The mental suffering is just like the suffering of the narak. Like a fish which is on hot sand, so painful, so much suffering.

Death time the suras gods see the kind of place so they experience the incredible mental suffering.

Then usually friends who they have lived and enjoyed and played in the whole life always been together, never separating, girl friends, boy friends, then that time they don’t come to see ... they don’t like to see when that god is experiencing the decay—he is going through this. Usually friends don’t come, don’t like to see. When they are looking ... when they are very far ... he talks to them ... kind of loudly ... “Now I have to leave this world so therefore I want to be with you for a short while.” Usually they don’t pay attention then just go away and only some, a few who have a bit of consideration ... they put a flower on top of a long stick then they don’t come near by, they past the flower on the long stick. Some of those who are a little bit better they advise him, “you pray to be born in the human realm so that you can create good karma. Then by being creating good karma can be born again in this realm, you can have these enjoyment again.” Some of them that are little considerate they advise like this. Friends don’t pay attention, they don’t talk, so like this so much incredible mental suffering.

There are five signs of death, one of which I can’t remember exactly. There are five main suffering of death and five branches.

In the realm of the gods of desire they have the suffering of suffering, they experience, besides two others, changeable suffering and permeating suffering. But the gods in the world of form and formless do not experience the suffering of suffering. The gods in the world of form experience the changeable suffering and permeating suffering. These gods’ categories are higher than the gods of desires. The gods of desire are situated on the top of Mt. Meru, on the level of Mt. Meru.

There are about sixteen categories in the world of form. They use all the senses but the only sense that don’t use is the sense of the ear, to hear. One difference from the gods of desire is that. To be born as a god of desire does not depend on the achievement of one-pointed concentration, such as the shamatha, but to be born in the world of form depends on the achievement of the shamatha—mental quiescence, one-pointed meditation. By this achievement they get born in the world of form; also they get born in the world of formless. Such is the world of formless the whole life is like deep sleep. The beings who are born in the world of formless they only remember they are born, no matter how many billion years they exist in the realm, the world of formless, the whole life is unaware, is like a deep sleep. When they are born and when they die they know, they know now I am dying, just only those two, the beginning and the end. That kind of life is completely useless.

Most of these gods of the world of form and formless, after the death time most of them are born in the lower realm. Why most of them get born in the lower realms is because the karma to be born there was created while they were human beings, mostly like this and then when they experience the result of that good karma by being born in this world, in that realm… you see their life only finishes the result of the good karma, to only enjoy. They only finish the result of the good karma, they don’t create any good karma in their life, never create merits in their life, so after death, most of them when they die the karma—only karma that is collected during their life is negative karma, no merits is created, so that karma is the strongest at death time. That is how most of them get born in the lower realm. Their life only makes the result of good karma finish. In their life they don’t try to create merit.

In all the realms the highest category is the world of formless, it is the point of samsara. But all these gods, they are never free. The gods in the world of form and formless are never free, even those gods in the world of form, whose mind lives in the blissful state, by the achievement of shamatha, who enjoy the blissfulness of the inner concentration and don’t have to depend on external food, external enjoyment. The gods in the world of form and formless are never free from the suffering—the changeable suffering. They experience changeable suffering. The god in the world of formless is not free from permeating suffering. They are born in that realm under the control of previous delusion and karma and will have to continue future sufferings.

The form and formless gods are not free always to be in that realm, don’t have that power. When the death comes without choice they have to be born in another realm. So they don’t have control over the death and rebirth. After some time as the point comes I will explain more details.

By being born in the realm of the gods where there is only happiness and no experience of suffering, even one experiences happiness it is only in the nature of suffering. There is no ultimate happiness in those realms.

The suffering of the three lower realms is explained in the book, you can understand by reading that. If you are interested enough even just by watching the animals one can understand the animal suffering, even though there is no explanation, just by watching animals you can feel and see that they are suffering more that most human beings.

The whole samsaric suffering is included in three: the suffering of suffering, which can even be recognized by animals and by human beings; changeable suffering, the samsaric pleasures, how they are in the nature of suffering—that is difficult. That is not something that which animals can understand and also human beings who do not understand Dharma, who didn’t receive teachings and do not meditate, who do not examine their own experience—difficult to recognize the samsaric pleasures are in the nature of suffering. The most difficult to recognize is permeating suffering. Many times it is like this: suffering of suffering comes from the changeable suffering, and changeable suffering comes from permeating suffering, the base.

Many times first we experience pleasure and afterwards pleasure gets lost and the suffering gets greater and greater. So, changeable suffering and suffering of suffering.

As we eat food, at first we feel good taste but as we continue eating, eating, after having two cups of soup then understand the taste, if it is salty or not. Before could not understand whether it was salty or not. After one cup it changes a little bit, then after second cup the taste is completely different. It is the same food, the food didn’t change.

This also explains shunyata if you can understand.

First we experience pleasure then afterwards pleasure becomes smaller and suffering gets bigger. Many times suffering of suffering comes from changeable suffering, the samsaric pleasure. Where samsaric pleasure comes from, which is in the nature of suffering, we do not like, that is because, why we go through this all the time, we lost samsaric pleasure, it finished, we try again, it finishes again, again we try, again finished. We have no choice to keep, to make it last. That is because, why our pleasures do not last, are in the nature of suffering, it is the fault of the self living in these aggregates which are in the nature of permeating suffering. Why we have to experience suffering of suffering, changeable suffering, the pleasure which does not last, we have to try again and again, which is endless work, is the fault of the self living in these aggregates which are in the nature of permeating suffering.

If we are free from this permeating suffering, then we are free from samsara. Many people think: “The poor people who are in prison, who are begging, they experience samsaric suffering; I have everything, I am happy, I don’t experience samsaric suffering. Other people who are begging or live in prison, they experience samsaric suffering.” There are some people who believe like this, who discriminate like this.

When one is free from permeating suffering, one is free from samsara so one does not have to experience the changeable suffering and suffering of suffering both. Those two sufferings don’t come because the base from where these two sufferings come is permeating suffering.

It is like this… when we get a wound on the body such as leprosy like that, our body feels itching so we scratch, then afterwards blood comes out becomes, scratching becomes cause of pain ... makes greater wound. The greater pain by scratching, happened by scratching you feel kind pleasure. This suffering by scratching is because of the base—this body is in the nature of permeating suffering. The wound that itches, when we scratch we get pleasure, then scratch some more we get pain. That is suffering of suffering. The pleasure by scratching is changeable suffering. That is the base, that came from the leprosy. Because of the disease of leprosy—like that the suffering of suffering and changeable suffering are based on permeating suffering, like water bubble—from one bubble another bubble comes, like that, comes from permeating suffering.

To receive nirvana one should be free from samsara. To be free from samsara one should receive pure mind renouncing samsara. The mind which sees… to receive the pure mind renouncing samsara—actually the main thing we should renounce is the permeating suffering, the base of all suffering. The mind and body aggregates which are in the nature of permeating suffering; this is the main thing we should feel aversion to, the main thing we should renounce.

Many times like this: if there is something wrong in your family, husband run away, parent’s always cruel, something wrong, you remember and want to practice Dharma—”I want to become a monk”, “I want to live life in a cave,” by certain conditions one wants to practice Dharma. That kind of mind does not want to get involved in the work of this life, it is the mind kind of renouncing something but is not complete, is not pure mind renouncing samsara. Sometimes also possible we have mind getting bored of that pleasure, enjoyment, don’t want any more of that.

There are many even outer beings who get bored of sense pleasures, they want pleasure of inner concentration. Don’t want the outer—the pleasure that is received by meeting the external condition, they get bored of that and seek the pleasure of inner concentration. That is a kind of mind renouncing pleasures but that is still not the mind renouncing samsara because that person still has attachment in that other pleasure.

Even after that person even gets bored of the pleasure of the inner concentration—he seeks equilibrium feeling, no pleasure, indifferent feeling. Does not want to feel anything. Wants to believe every existence as like sky, like space, consciousness or nothingness; this category comes by desiring equilibrium, from getting bored of even the pleasure of inner concentration. So if you meditate on nothingness, trying to believe nothing exists, or you meditate on empty space, blank, trying to stop the thoughts, kind of like space—even if you achieve one-pointed concentration but without practicing shunyata, without practicing bodhicitta, mind renouncing samsara it only creates karma. Even if you achieve one pointed concentration the rebirth of where you are going to be born is either animal or formless category. It does not make you come any closer to nirvana. Those beings who want to believe like this, who desire the indifferent feeling they still don’t have pure mind renouncing samsara, because they don’t have mind to renounce the world of formless. Don’t have mind to renounce the permeating suffering of the realms, cannot see how the world of formless is in the nature of permeating suffering and don’t have mind to renounce that. That’s why even though they reach these very high categories they are not free because they don’t have the pure mind renouncing samsara.

Any aggregates that we take in samsara, in these six realms, any type of aggregates we take, any body we take within these six realms, the aggregates which are in the nature of permeating suffering, whatever we take in these six realms, it is like always carrying a load of thorny luggage. At present time we are carrying this samsara, these aggregates, which are in the nature of permeating suffering. By carrying this, self is never free from suffering and always experiencing the different problems, one after another. For example; the person who carries the heavy luggage of thorns; as long as the person does not cut off the rope that ties the person to the load of thorns, the person is always with the thorny load. As long as he is with the load of thorns, he always experiences pain, does not experience pleasure, like this. Like this, what binds us to samsara, aggregates which are caused by delusion, is the rope of delusion and karma; as long as we don’t cut the rope of delusion and karma always we have to carry the burden of samsara. As long as we are with this burden of samsara it only makes to continuously experience suffering, no chance to experience ultimate happiness.

So the true cause of suffering… the whole of this samsaric suffering, where it comes from, what has created it, what has caused it, is the true cause of suffering: karma and delusion. The worst thing is delusion. Karma is produced by delusion. If there is the delusion of craving, attachment, karma is created. If there is no delusion, even if there is karma collected from previous life, this karma cannot bring result if the delusion has ceased. Also, if there is no delusion we do not produce any more negative karma to be born in samsara. If there is no delusion, no new karma is created. Even if there is karma to be born in the realm of suffering transmigrator, even if that is finished, the result has been experienced... let’s say there is no karma left that has the result to be born as a suffering transmigrator, even if there is no resultant karma, which is not yet experienced, since there is delusion it is so easy to produce new negative karma right away. Even if there was no karma left which results in birth in the lower realms, which had not yet been experienced, since the delusions such as attachment, craving was not ceased it produces negative karma right away to be born in the realm of the suffering transmigrators. It is so easy. So, the worst thing is the delusion.

There are six root delusions and twenty secondary delusions. I think tomorrow. Maybe briefly, not time to go over the twenty secondary delusions but a brief explanation of each of the six root delusions and maybe some about the methods.

…something want to, not should do.

Student: [inaudible]
Rinpoche: So the actual result through the meditation we understand and the meaning of the prayers we understand. How to practice in life is extremely important, we understand. And we understand it’s not just saying words it is meditation practice, then we can understand.

Lecture 36

In the second meditation course, when I start to explain straight from the book, at that time the book didn’t have that much subject. The first course was only three pages. Very, very short subject and each meditation three or four lines. At that time in one day they did many different meditations from morning to night, four or five different meditations. Actually it was written in the paper, before explaining it was easy to follow the meditations on the paper. They did like this, so they got a chance to do all the different meditations in one day, but they were short and it didn’t contain many details. Then slowly, as the explanation came, it grew, about 10 days.

At the very beginning I didn’t have any experience of teaching other people. No kind of plans for the sessions. We had one student called Zena, when we were at Bodhgaya, we went to take teachings there, as you know other people give courses in India. She had an idea of that, we never had such an idea. She insisted so much, so I asked Lama Yeshe should I go or not. Before, I had resisted many times. Lama said if it’s beneficial, do it. I wasn’t sure if it was beneficial or not, I just ignorantly decided to do the course. So the plan started to give courses because of that ten day course. That’s how it started, but without any plans, like this.

The second course started right away from refuge. First reincarnation, then refuge: lama sangye, lama cho, short prayer; it took four or five days just talking on that. Then when we reached the part on the subject of karma, I couldn’t complete the whole meditation course, I had to run away. One of our teachers called Geshe Lobsang sent a telegraph saying to come right away to take teachings. That time incredible teachings were being given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the two tutors.

So there was no one who was explaining, they just looked and followed the book, better do it. But many of them were from the previous course. They did a lot of prostrations in the mornings, the very first thing was doing a lot of prostrations to make them completely exhausted!

Those who, usually there are two types of visualization. If one can do the amplified visualization of the merit field, all the different lineages, all the lamas, and in the centre of the mandala, Lama Lobsang Tubwang Dorje Chang: Lama, the guru; Lobsang is Lama Tsongkhapa; Tubwang is Guru Shakyamuni Buddha and Dorje Chang is Vajradhara. So in the center like this and all the different aspects of the four Vajrayana traditions, the different aspects of deities. Then the thousand buddhas who are existing in this eon in this world. Then the 35 Buddhas and the eight Medicine Buddhas, the bodhisattvas and arhats, the daka, dakinis, the protectors, who are beyond samsara. If one can do this way, it is good, if you don’t find it too complicated, if one can do it completely, usually it is done this way. If you meditate on lam-rim, this is the visualization to make purification, all the different aspects of buddhas.

Not necessary, usually what we emphasize is just visualizing Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, that is to make simple for the mind. During the visualization, during the purification time, during those times, according to one’s own choice one can do the visualization. But visualizing just Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is called “the jewel tradition of the embodiment of all.” Instead of visualizing many different aspects, you visualize just one Buddha and think this is the embodiment of all the buddhas. All the numberless aspects of other buddhas, all the different lineage lamas, all the Vajrayana deities, peaceful aspects buddhas, the bodhisattvas, daka, dakinis, protectors—Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is the total embodiment of all these, just like the ocean that is a collection of the different waters in the world, different oceans. In that ocean are all the different waters. Like that, you visualize Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is the embodiment of all the buddhas. This visualization is called “The jewel tradition of the embodiment of all the buddhas.”

If someone asks, if one creates negative karma with the relationship of the Sangha, how to purify—this is the best solution. Usually they say like this, if you fall down on the ground, you get up from the ground, you don’t get up from space, from the sky. All the negative karmas are created either in relationship to sentient beings or with the Triple Gem, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. These are the two ways we create negative karma. So especially this time, all the refuge, we purify all the negative karmas that are created in relation to the Guru, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t purify negative karma created in relation to sentient beings. It does not purify these—it does purify. But more emphasis is done, we concentrate more specifically on negative karmas done in relation to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. It does also purify general negative karmas collected in relation to sentient beings.

So this specific purification is when you say Lama.la kyab.su.chi.wo, Sangye.la kyab.su.chi.wo, Chö.la kyab.su.chi.wo, Gedun.la kyab.su.chi.wo, which means I go for refuge in the Guru, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. According to other visualizations, you visualize all the lineage lamas and deities’ teachings in the form of texts, visualizing the Dharma in the form of texts, lapis lazuli paper and written in gold ink. All the letters are radiating and making intuitive sound. Whatever teaching is written there, it is like a tape recorder, each letter, kha or e or ee, etc., making sound, like tape recorder. Either in front or at the side of each of the lineage lamas, their oral teachings, spoken letters like this, but actually they are realizations. The Dharma which is the realization—you can also think like this.

Also behind Guru Shakyamuni Buddha visualize all the three Tripitaka teachings on shelves like in a library, but formation is light. If one wants to visualize Guru Shakyamuni Buddha all alone, in front of the Buddha, all the realizations of Dharma, the absolute Sangha. When you visualize just Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, then you say I go for refuge in Guru, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, at that time can think like this.

You see, all the omniscient minds of the buddhas are the guru—the absolute guru, the subject, creator. So that takes the manifestation of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, golden colored body, hair ushnisha, left hand holding bowl and right hand palm pointing down. This manifestation is called Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. So, I go for refuge in Guru, you can remember this, embodiment of guru. This purification is repeated, that time you can make note, purification of specific negative karmas related to Guru, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. So lama.la kyab.su.chi.wo, you can think like this.

On the other hand, the omniscient mind of all buddhas which takes ordinary manifestation, granting ordination, giving teachings, giving initiations, doing different things, which, by that function, by its actions done towards the subject, oneself, is called “guru”—that is the manifestation of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. Like that you can think, it is another effective, powerful way for one’s own mind to think. Other way is kind of not so pure, it is right, but actually for someone who doesn’t have so much understanding, it’s not so clear. Kind of vague. This way is more effective for the mind, more understandable.

So like this, manifestation of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, then Lama.la Kyab.su.chi.wo… then this way one understands one is taking refuge in the guru, but in the manifestation of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. There is a purpose to think it is manifestation, it’s for purification. Exchanging as manifestation, not visualizing in ordinary aspect, there is a purpose, it is for purification. As the ordinary manifestation appears to oneself, if you believe it, then that causes the mind to arise heresy and much wrong conception, which prevent one from seeing the guru in the nature of all the buddhas, the embodiment of all the buddhas. It disturbs to see the guru in Buddha, not as Buddha but in Buddha. If one doesn’t see the guru in Buddha, the devotion, the root of the path, does not arise. In the guru practice, which is the root of the path, that is the main thing.

Devotion to guru… there are two types of devotion; one is seeing the guru as Buddha, and the other is devotion remembering the kindness of the guru. The main devotion is to see the guru as Buddha, that is the main thing. That is what is called the root of the path. I always emphasize in the teachings that this is the root of the path. That is what guru practice is, that is the main thing, the principal, the devotional mind that sees the guru as Buddha. The realization that sees the Guru is the nature of the totality of all the buddhas, the Dharmakaya, the omniscient mind. The guru is the nature of the totality of all the buddhas, the Dharmakaya, the omniscient mind. This is the main thing, this is what is called “root of the path.” This one.

Also, devotion is a mental thing, not so much physical actions. The main thing is mind training in the guru practice, which is trying to see the guru in the nature of the totality of all the buddhas, the Dharmakaya, the omniscient mind. So, Namo Gurubhya, Namo Buddhaya... lama.la kyab.su.chi.wo, chö.la kyab.su.chi.wo… like this. Then same thing, when you think sangye.la kyab.su.chi.wo, think total embodiment of all the buddhas, total embodiment of Dharma, also Sangha.

One emphasis is… to actualize the graduated path to enlightenment in the field of one’s own mind, to grow the plant, the graduated path to enlightenment… enlightenment is like the result of the plant. I think that depends on receiving blessings, creating merit, making purification. Since beginningless previous lifetimes our mind has been unsubdued, like an unfertilized field, very rough, like a desert. Like a very dry place, our mind has been very unfertilized, very unsubdued. So it is difficult to grow things. So dry, there is no water, kind of hot, nothing to grow food, crops—difficult to receive realizations.

In order to receive realizations… to grow the crop you should first fertilize the field, put minerals and water. Similarly, in order to receive realizations in the field of the mind, the mind should be fertilized, means should be subdued. Receiving blessings is like putting water after you plant the seed. Also then, to make the mind ready to quickly receive realizations, to fertilize the field of the mind, is by creating merit and making purification. Generally receiving blessings means receiving realizations of the graduated path to enlightenment.

Receiving blessings is like this example: a long time before, you repeated the words, you did the meditation and repeated the prayers, and one time you get an incredible experience, the meditation is very effective for your mind, incredibly for real.

…there is great feeling to the meditation. You find the meditation so effective and so easily you can stop the delusions rising, the meditation is so effective. In the meditation, things you didn’t feel before, you feel, you understand, you see much more clearly, with great feeling. And each word of the prayer you find it’s like each word is so incredibly precious, more than rivers filled with jewels. Each word of the prayer is so precious, incredible, even to say the words of the prayers, as you say them, you feel each word is so precious. Incredible devotion arises, you can’t stop crying—like this.

Those are the signs of receiving blessings of the guru. These are the signs. It means the person is receiving blessings. That means your mind is ripening, like fruit ripening so that you can eat it, not completely blue. It means your mind is ripening, your mind is becoming fertilized, at that time. It means your mind is being subdued. Also, during those times, when such great devotion arises like this, whatever meditation you are practicing there is so much incredible feeling, it is much stronger the feeling in meditation, whether it is bodhicitta, whether it is shunyata, impermanence—the experience is so much stronger.

Before, no matter how much you repeated the words of the meditation, it was kind of very dry, intellectual, very, very dry. The stronger experience means that your mind is closer to the realizations during those times.

Before, the one practice called Guru Practice, that the monks often do in the puja, even in daily life if one has received the initiation, the commentary, one has to say it every day. Before, I didn’t have so much feeling; then, when I was India, one time when I was in a cave on the mountain, living under the rock, then there was more time to do things, little bit, compared with others it was nothing, just completely lazy, compared to other monks I was completely lazy, lazy, but on the mountain, living under the rock there was a little bit time to do things, some purification, things like that, prostrations, mandala offerings and those other things, then many other, Vajrayana, purification… then I read the commentary of the Guru Puja. Incredible, each word from the Guru Puja as I said it, amazing, just to mention the word, so valuable, so precious each word, incredible. While you are saying it, incredible devotion arises, making tears come out.

Those kinds of things, when the mind is becoming ripened… those are the kindnesses. There are three kindnesses of the guru: one is kindness of giving teachings, kindness of blessing the mind, kindness of giving help, even materially. Those, depending on the guru, some people’s mind can be brought into Dharma by giving help, if there is no other way, if giving teachings doesn’t fit, the method is giving whatever material help he likes—food or clothing. Gradually, the person’s mind can bring into Dharma and lead in the gradual path to enlightenment. This kind of experience, when you get strong feeling in the meditation, incredible devotion arising, meditation becoming much clearer—those are the kindness of the guru, blessing the mind. I think it must be the kindness of the guru, blessing the mind.

The main blessing is receiving realizations; that is receiving blessings.

Also, when you read Dharma texts, same thing happens. Before you were never aware of the meaning of that subject; all of a sudden you get incredible understanding, you remember, you receive incredible understanding of the meaning of the prayer, the meaning of the written words—great understanding within your mind. All of a sudden you receive big understanding. This means that—like this. That is also a hidden blessing, one’s mind being blessed.

In order to receive realizations, to make the mind ripen, it’s necessary to subdue the unsubdued mind. That is by receiving blessings, receiving merit, making purification and then making requests. So the main point I mentioned is this, the purpose: the main method to receive blessings is the Guru Yoga practice. Guru Yoga is not just visualizing a deity and making offerings, not just that. By thinking as separate the guru from whom one receives teachings and initiations, even the alphabet.

From the side of the meditator, thinking separation between the guru and the deity, then making offering to the deity, making prostrations to the deity—even if one believes it is guru yoga practice that is not guru yoga practice. The actual guru yoga practice is this… not just pretending: guru is not Buddha, but let’s pretend, let’s visualize that he is a buddha—not like this. This way is not what is called guru yoga practice.

How to do the real guru yoga practice one can understand by understanding the gradual path to Enlightenment, by understanding the analytical, the checking meditation on how to practice guru [devotion.] How to make guru practice, the analytical meditation which proves how the Guru is Buddha, that is the main thing. To practice guru yoga actually, to be able to practice one should have understanding of the analytical meditation of the guru practice, which proves how guru is buddha—that one. It is not like this: the guru who is not Buddha, is you trying to imagine as Buddha, is not like this: we can’t make him Buddha, we can’t make ourselves Buddha, how can we make other sentient beings Buddha, not a sentient being? Who is Buddha, if we don’t recognize this as Buddha, we don’t see it in Buddha, one who is Buddha, in one’s view, one does not see it is Buddha. Analytical meditation is trying to recognize that the guru is Buddha, which is not recognized by oneself. Trying to introduce or trying to recognize as Buddha, that which is not recognized by oneself as Buddha.

Like golden vase—the person who thinks this is brass, and believes it is brass, it appears to him as brass. By the explanation given by someone how to recognize gold as gold, by using that explanation for your mind that does not recognize gold as gold, you use the explanation to recognize gold as gold for your mind, it is like this. Then by analytical meditation, by logic, as explained in the teachings, you prove it to your own mind. Then that guru you visualize in your meditational deity. Either you visualize in the form of deity, then you make offerings and prostrations, or just that ordinary aspect. On the basis of that, by having found in one’s own mind that is Buddha, then making the action, making the practice of purifying and collecting merit, becoming one. All these different practices which make one to be closer to the gurus, closer to enlightenment.

This just happened, wasn’t mean to go along this, it just happened, like a conversation. It is difficult. I am not expecting you to understand straight away. It is a difficult subject and takes time. Guru yoga means this.

[BREAK]

The method to receive blessings is the guru yoga practice. To receive the realization depends on request, request to the gurus. The requesting prayer. Usually there is a long requesting prayer to all the lineage lamas, starting from Guru Shakyamuni down to one’s own guru. If there is not time and it is difficult you make it very short: Lama Dorje Chang, this one verse. The whole lineage prayer is contained in this one verse.

Usually, buddhas helping the sentient beings does not depend… like ordinary person, whether a person asks them or does not ask, it is not like that. It is like this—if you make the request with a devotional mind for realizations, it’s like the buddhas always put their hook to oneself, so this time making request with devotion is like having the ring which the hook can hook, to guide oneself from the delusions, from the suffering realms. By making request with devotion makes quicker to actualize the realization and receive enlightenment, quicker to control the delusions. Not only from Buddha’s side; from their side they are always kind of waiting to give different help, doing the different works according to the different levels of one’s own mind.

Before we didn’t request, our mind is not facing toward enlightenment, not practicing Dharma. Before we were doing completely opposite to Dharma, there is no wish to practice Dharma, there is no understanding of Dharma, what we do is completely opposite to Dharma, opposite to the virtuous actions. This time, from our side we try to follow Dharma. All the time Buddha wants to enlighten oneself, has been waiting, but oneself has not been working for it, to receive enlightenment. Never turned toward “enlightenment.” Like if you want to go to a movie we turn and face that way. If there is danger, the enemy coming, we turn back, like that. So from our side to practice Dharma with devotion make request, that way with the guidance of Buddha and the co-operative work, Buddha’s guidance and one’s own effort working towards enlightenment. Like this one will receive enlightenment soon.

Therefore there is need of request with devotion, to receive realizations.

This verse contains the guru practice also, this request. The translation is this: The Guru Vajradhara…

First I will describe this. This way is good to affect the mind. According to the visualization of the merit field, in the center is the guru, Lama Tsongkhapa, at his heart is Guru Shakyamuni Buddha and Vajradhara in the center. At Shakyamuni’s heart is Vajradhara, the tantric aspect, the deity. Then left side is the lineage of the blessing of the practice, the different, Vajrayana, all the practices. Here the lineage lamas, Manjushri, Maitreya Buddha, the lineage of the profound Path. Atisha, his followers, the Kadampas, Lama Tsongkhapa and followers, the lineage of the graduated path to enlightenment. Here is the lineage of the extensive path, Maitreya Buddha in the centre, the Indian pandits, then Atisha and the Kadampa followers, then again Lama Tsongkhapa—both of the lineages came from Atisha and Lama Tsongkhapa. Then here are the mahaanuttara yoga deities. After that the anuttara yoga deities, then the kriya tantra deities, before that was the—tantra deities. Then below that the peaceful aspect buddhas. Then the bodhisattvas and then the arhats. Then the dakas, dakinis, male and female. Then there are the protectors who are beyond samsara.

Right in the center is Guru Lama Tsongkhapa, then Shakyamuni Buddha and in his heart Vajradhara. Like a pot, one big pot, inside there is another smaller pot.

So now I explain the prayer.

“Guru Vajradhara…”(guru is all the omniscient mind of Buddha. All the transcendental wisdom. All the omniscient mind of Buddha is easier, that is what we call Guru.) Guru, and then Vajradhara, this is tantra manifestation, what is called Vajradhara, embraced sometimes with consort.

First is Guru, from where it starts, and then Vajradhara. That Guru itself is Vajradhara. That Guru taking this Vajrayana deity, particular aspect, which signifies the meaning of Vajradhara, that manifestation signifies the realization of Vajradhara.

“Guru Vajradhara, who is the perfect embodiment of the…”

If you can visualize this merit field, if you can then very clear idea. “Guru Vajradhara who is the total embodiment of the three objects of refuge.”

Now, now it is like this. All this merit field, all the different aspects, all these buddhas, are included in three, Buddha’s realization, Dharma. If one has visualized the manifestation in texts and letters, same thing. The realization which is Dharma, and Sangha; all these objects of refuge are included in the three objects of refuge, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

“Guru Vajradhara, who is the total embodiment of all the objects of the three refuges, Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.”

In that way, you get the visualization like this. All these manifestations go back to the source, Guru Vajradhara. By taking whatever manifestations are necessary to subdue the beings, these different manifestations, wrathful, peaceful ... goes back to the source, Guru Vajradhara.

Before, when you are saying the first verse, all of these go back to the source Guru Vajradhara. Now when you say the second verse, that single source manifests all these lineage lamas, buddhas, bodhisattvas, arhat, dakas, and dakinis, protectors—all these.

The way to think, the second verse, the effective way to think is oneself—to lead me in enlightenment from samsara, to guide, Guru Vajradhara emanated all these different manifestations, lineage gurus and so forth, all of which are different yoga practices, to subdue oneself; these manifestations which are meditated on, to subdue. Also, not only these manifestations, which one can’t really see now, even so each and every manifestation is to lead me to enlightenment. Besides that, because I can’t see, it’s also necessary to manifest the ordinary aspect with who one can communicate, from whom one can receive teachings, initiations, the ordinary manifestation. This you usually visualize around Lama Tsongkhapa, however many one has, praising Lama Tsongkhapa. So can think like this. Then, “I request the kind guru…” the whole thing, Guru Vajradhara, who is the total embodiment of all the three objects of refuge, takes the manifestation of what is necessary to subdue the beings.

“… and grant the sublime realizations.” The sublime realization of enlightenment and then the general realizations; the highest realization is enlightenment. This outline, if one thinks, contains the kindness of the guru, who grants the sublime and general realizations. Not only that, that is just the word, but it contains all this: all one’s previous happiness, perfections, all future perfections and happiness, all the happiness of Dharma, all the realization of path to enlightenment, even enlightenment, everything you can think, the temporal and ultimate happiness, everything grants. You can think in this word—not only all the realizations but everything: all the temporal happiness and realizations, even ultimate happiness, can remember. This is the same meaning as Lama Sangye, Lama Chö… Kungyi Tsepa Lama Chö. “The creator, the doer is the guru, I take refuge in the guru.” This is the same meaning, it comes to the same point. It contains the meditation on the kindness of the guru, it is all contained there. Then, “To you the kind guru, I request to quickly grant the sublime realization and general realizations in the mind of oneself and all the sentient beings.”

In this short outline incredible subject is contained, in this short prayer. The whole meditation is there, if one can think. What I planned was to give an explanation of the importance of purifying and collecting merit, of mandala offerings…

So you can understand from the translation of the prayer, of the offering, actually transformed and actually performed offerings, whatever is performed and mentally transformed offerings. Usually physically we can’t prepare so much offering so then we make mentally transformed offerings. Mentally transformed offerings is… the physical, actually performed offerings are difficult to receive. If one is wealthy one can make many actual performed offerings but person who is living an ascetic life cannot do so much material transformed offerings. Mentally, with mind we can perform so many offerings filling infinite space one can think of, the universe full of offerings. Doesn’t cost one single paise, also there is no danger of mentally transformed offerings not fitting in the space. You can offer as much and as beautiful as you can, different objects of the senses, nectar, like we visualized at food offering time, big jeweled pots size of the world full of nectar, many beautiful lakes, calm and clean and clear. Flowers in space, besides beautiful scented flowers on the ground, covering the earth and lakes, there are beautiful scented flowers raining from space like snow falling, very soft and slowly falling like snow, very scented and different kinds of flowers. Also beautiful, scented incense, in beautiful jeweled pot, smoke rising, the whole space is full of scented sweet incense smell. Even the smoke is incredibly beautiful, in space like rainbows.

Then light: you can think of the sun, also lights that are actually performed, generally pervading the whole general group of sentient beings of this one mandala, this one universe. The sun, which all the sentient beings in the mandala enjoy together. There is a part, possessions that belong to each sentient being, in each person’s view there is a sun—so that is in your possession what is in your view. Your own enjoyment…

…Then also perfect taste, food offering to the holy tongue, again can think as nectar in large jeweled pot, whatever delicious things you can think of.

Also music, in space all kinds of music, making offering of the sound of the music, like cymbals, drums, violins, all the different musical sounds. Also you can think many gods and goddesses wearing beautiful clothes and ornaments, beautiful bodies, visualize them playing the music and offer that, all the different gods and goddesses playing music and making offering.

The remedy of offering is to destroy attachment, miserliness. When you remember, even you don’t have object of attachment with you, when you visualize it in front of you, you get attached, miserly. By visualizing as beautiful as possible, renouncing and dedicating like this it purifies, destroys miserly attachment.

This mantra has power to bless, after you set up the flower or light offering or whatever, if it is not blessed, there are interferers, spirits who enjoy the light and water etc., who take the pure power of the water or the flower offerings. If it is not blessed, if the interferes use this it becomes like offering residue of food, after we ate the food we offered it. This mantra has power to do two functions: to bless the offering. After it is blessed the interferers cannot take away the pure power, the potentiality, of the offerings. And to increase the offerings. This mantra has power to make incredible number of offerings in the presence of each buddha, like rainfalls.

The prayer that comes after that is the prayer of the words of truth. It means, by the blessing of the triple gem, by the truth of the triple gem, the pure absolute nature, may these offerings as I have visualized, like this may it be received in the presence of each buddha—like this.