Lecture 12

Cultivate the pure motivation of bodhicitta. Think, “I am going to listen to the teachings on the gradual path to enlightenment in order to receive enlightenment for the benefit of all the kind mother sentient beings.”

In the West we talk about life without cause. Human life has no meaning. Life is without purpose, which only makes one depressed, unhappy, which doesn’t make the mind happy. Such thinking like this does not make the life happy, does not make the life’s problems less. It only makes the mind more and more upset, thinking more and more the life has no meaning. The human rebirth is born without purpose, taken without purpose. But that is a completely wrong conception. This perfect human rebirth is highly meaningful in three ways. It is highly meaningful to obtain the temporal goal, to obtain the ultimate goal, and it is highly meaningful each minute and each second. Like this.

With this perfect human rebirth three great meanings can be obtained. So, what are the temporal meanings that can be obtained with the perfect human rebirth? Even if one wishes to receive the rebirth of a rich person or a king, if one wishes rebirth in the realm of gods, suras and asuras, by observing moral conduct one can obtain this, and even if one wishes to receive perfect enjoyments in the future lives they can be obtained by creating charity with this human rebirth. The temporal goals, perfect enjoyment in the future life can be received. In future lives even if one wishes to have perfect surroundings all the time, it is possible with this perfect human rebirth to create the cause, by practicing patience. Many people in this life can’t get along with their families or with friends, couples. However much they try to be together with other people, no matter how much they try to make friends, they never get along, always disharmony. No other people can stay with him. They are easy to get angry, easy to become disharmonious between each other. That is the result of previous karma, not practicing patience in previous lives, not controlling anger, getting angry with other people. Making disharmony.

So if one wishes to receive another perfect human rebirth, one must the cause, observing perfect moral conduct and creating charity. To receive a perfect human rebirth that has perfect enjoyments it is necessary to practice Dharma, having the necessary things, not having any difficulty of temporal needs. That depends on the cause of observing perfect moral conduct and charity. If moral conduct is not created and only charity is created, one doesn’t receive the rebirth of a happy transmigrator. If one tried to observe moral conduct but one breaks it and does not confess, purify this before death, then, even though one has created charity, that brings rebirth in the animal realms, as a wealthy animal, you know. Such as the animal nagas. This type of spirit. The being is in the realm of animal. In the countries such as like Greece and some other countries I think they worship these nagas. Some countries think of them as gods, somehow. By giving them offerings you receive a little bit of material help from them to become wealthy. So however these nagas have the shape of the body in a different form—half human being, half animal, snakes or fish or things like that. These have different forms.

One time I heard that in India from the ocean they found sentient beings with human heads, but the rest of the body is that of a snake. They took it around in the country, Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay, to the cities for exhibition and people have to pay for the tickets. Many people came to see. I have one servant and he also saw that—the rest of the body is like a snake rolled up like this and the head is in the center and turning around the neck. I’m not too sure, people were asking questions, I’m not sure, that I am not clear on. The nagas, some we see, some we don’t see, those animal spirits. Oh then, like this about the temporal goals.

If one wishes to be born in the pure realm. Even if one could not complete the Dharma practice in one lifetime, even if one wishes to be born in the pure realm after death, without finishing the Dharma practice, even if one had to die, there is a possibility. That temporal goal can be obtained with the perfect human rebirth, by creating the cause to be born in the pure realm. Basically that depends on moral conduct, charity, and prayers and meditation on the gradual path to enlightenment.

I thought to say this also: to receive a perfect human rebirth you need continual prayer. The main cause is moral conduct; charity helps to receive perfect human rebirth. What does prayer do? By having created the cause prayer makes us join the result: the perfect human rebirth.

So if one is born in pure realms, that is where you can receive enlightenment in the lifetime. Like the realm of the suras, they have great enjoyments.

The body that you take in the pure realm is not like the body we have. It is spiritual, it is a pure body, it is not a body made of blood and bones and meat, flesh, like that. Not this type of impure body. That pure body doesn’t have heavy pains or disease as we experience with this impure body. It is born in a lotus in a pure realm. There, even the noise, the sound of the birds, is a Dharma sound. They are talking Dharma.

The main benefits of being born here is that one can actually communicate with Buddha, whomever that pure realm belongs to. You can communicate with and receive teachings straight from that aspect of Buddha, so then you complete the Vajrayana path, which one could not complete with this perfect human rebirth, and receive enlightenment in that lifetime. The cause is basically moral conduct, discipline of the body, speech, and mind away from negative action, making charity and prayer, and one of the most important thing is the meditations on the gradual path to enlightenment. Why? Because meditation on gradual path to enlightenment stops the hindrances that disturbs rebirth in pure realms, such as attachment, which doesn’t let the person transfer his consciousness into the pure realm. Those mental distractions get controlled by practicing the meditation on the gradual path to enlightenment.

Then the ultimate goal. If one wishes to receive nirvana, release from the bondage of samsara, it can be obtained with this perfect human rebirth. How? You can create the cause with this perfect human rebirth by practicing these three higher trainings. The higher training of moral conduct, concentration, shamatha ... [light flashes off]. Visualize light. I’m joking. The higher training of moral conduct, concentration, and wisdom. These three fundamental paths can be achieved. By practicing these three paths, a perfect human rebirth can be obtained, and then nirvana. So by practicing these three paths with a perfect human rebirth one can become completely free from the whole suffering realm. If you try to receive nirvana with this perfect human rebirth it is much easier with this present rebirth than for other human beings.

As there are innumerable universes, there are also many other continents where there are human beings. This earth on which the countries are situated is not only the planet where there are human beings. There are many other continents where there are different types of human beings. According to what Buddha has explained, according to his fully enlightened mind, this continent in which we live is the southern continent. Then there are eastern, western, and northern continents, like this. This is just one total universe.

With this present rebirth if we try to receive nirvana it is much easier for us than those other beings in the other continents. Such as the human beings in the western continents, they don’t have chance to follow the path to nirvana. Why? Because they cannot receive ordination. Their body is not a body that can receive ordination because they have such heavy obscurations. They have incredible, great enjoyments and so much attachment to these enjoyments and very heavy karmic obscurations.

Also for the suras, it is extremely difficult to receive nirvana. Why? Because they cannot achieve the path, the higher training of wisdom. They cannot receive this due to heavy karmic obscurations. And in those realms it is very difficult to observe moral conduct. Why? What is necessary for the foundation and preparation? To receive the foundation of the ordination, one needs the mind renouncing the realm of suffering transmigrators, the mind renouncing the suffering realm in samsara. That is the preparation, the foundation necessary for the person to receive the ordination. So therefore, in those realms to receive the mind renouncing samsara is extremely difficult. Why? Because it is extremely difficult for their mind to see the nature of suffering. And also, in the human world, human beings have a different life. Some poor, some rich, and there are so many influences ... it is easy to see the nature of suffering. They have a similar life, great sense pleasure, very rich like this.

So, how it is easy to receive nirvana with our present rebirth is because human beings in this world find it much easier to realize the nature of the suffering—to see how samsara is in the nature of suffering is much easier. So it is very easy to receive the mind renouncing samsara, therefore it is easy to receive ordination. So that is how it is easy also to achieve the higher training of concentration. Also it is easy to receive realization on the higher training of wisdom. So this way is how it is easy to receive nirvana. Then besides that wish to receive enlightenment there is the chance to receive enlightenment in three countless great eons by following the sutra path, by creating merits. If one wishes it can be obtained; besides, if one wishes to receive enlightenment in this lifetime, or t least if it is not possible in this lifetime, then in sixteen lifetimes. With this perfect human rebirth, making the co-operative practices of sutra and tantra together.

Just as the great yogi Milarepa, whose name is familiar in the West, himself received enlightenment in his lifetime by making the co-operative practices of sutra and tantra, there were eight of his disciples who also received enlightenment in their lifetime. Generally he has many thousands of disciples. Then besides himself the Guru Milarepa received enlightenment in his lifetime. Many of his disciples did not receive enlightenment in their lifetime but they received very high realizations, a very high path.

Also many of the great Lama Tsongkhapa’s disciples received enlightenment in their lifetime and so many of the lineages of the lam-rim teaching on the gradual path to enlightenment have received enlightenment in their lifetime. As you may have heard from the books, they attained the rainbow bodies. Things like that.

Receiving enlightenment in the lifetime is only possible for those human beings who have received perfect human rebirths in this continent. It is impossible to receive enlightenment in the lifetime by practicing the Vajrayana path with other human beings’ bodies in those other continents and with the body of the suras or asuras. It is only possible in this continent for the human beings who have received perfect human rebirth, and not possible for others. Why? The person who practices the Vajrayana path, especially the mahaannutara yoga tantra path that brings enlightenment in the lifetime, the Vajradhara state, without taking much time, without need to collect merits and purification for three countless great eons, this person’s body should be a body born from the mother’s womb, formed of the six elements, three from the father and three from the mother. The elements from the mother are skin, blood, and flesh, and those from the father are sperm, bone, and marrow—the stuff in the bones, you know. The white stuff. The three white elements are received mainly from the father. You have red seed and white seed, because the body is formed of six elements. These two seeds can be used in the path to enlightenment.

There is a way to receive enlightenment by practicing the Vajrayana path. That is on the basis of the fundamental realization of the gradual path to enlightenment, the mind renouncing samsara, with bodhicitta, the wisdom realizing the absolute true nature. Then one takes initiation from the Vajrayana guru, and the initiation makes the mind ripen, like when you pour water on the ground, the seed becomes ready to bring sprout or plants. One is capable of practicing the Vajrayana path, and by practicing it purifies and transforms the impure body and the impure mind. One receives the indestructible vajra holy body and holy mind. One receives this by following the two Vajrayana gradual paths, one receives the indestructible unified enlightened stage which unifies the vajra holy body and vajra holy mind. The general outline is roughly like this.

Then, I think I stop here. Perhaps maybe if you have questions you can collect ... I am not sure but perhaps one abbot from our college has arrived, so if he wants to give answers to your questions then maybe you can collect questions and you can ask, if he accepts to give answers.

[Dedication]

Lecture 13

Then before listening to the actual teaching it is necessary to cultivate the pure motivation of bodhicitta, not only for the present action to become Dharma, the cause of happiness, just that is not sufficient, it is necessary to make our own action to become the cause of nirvana. Just even that is not sufficient; it is necessary to make the action a cause of our receiving enlightenment for the benefits of all the kind mother sentient beings. So, therefore, what makes the action of listening to Dharma, or any other action of body, speech, or mind, what makes the action a cause of receiving enlightenment, is only the motivation of bodhicitta. The motivation that wants to benefit other sentient beings, not only oneself, but other sentient beings. Therefore, it is necessary to think like this. I must achieve enlightenment right away in order to enlighten all the kind mother sentient beings, therefore I am going to listen to the profound teachings on the gradual path to enlightenment.

The listening subject is the Mahayana teaching that leads the fortunate one to enlightenment. It is well expounded by the Mahayana philosophers Nagarjuna and Asanga. It is a profound teaching received by the great bodhisattva Atisha and the Dharma king of the three worlds, the great Lama Tsongkhapa, through which these teachings were shown. These teachings were shown by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha and all these are the teachings of the three vehicles, Theravadin, Paramitayana, Vajrayana. All these teachings are set up for the gradual purpose of one person receiving enlightenment. This is the sole path through which all past, present, and future Buddhas have received enlightenment.

Actually then, there has to be a method to purify and pacify the delusions, which serves to receive nirvana and enlightenment. So however it makes us pacify the delusions, that is the path to enlightenment, that is the path to enlightenment. That path, whatever is contained in the gradual path to enlightenment. That path that makes us purify the delusions, that is the path to enlightenment. If that path does not purify the delusions then it is not the path of enlightenment. Even though that teaching is called Buddhadharma, in fact it is not the path to enlightenment, it is not Buddhadharma. If it is a path that purifies the delusions, if it leads one to the blissful state of one’s own peace, then no matter what it is called, Buddhadharma or other names, even Muslim, Krishna…

…if it purifies the delusions, leads to peace and enlightenment, then that is the path to enlightenment, that is the enlightened beings’ teaching and that is the Buddhadharma.

Like this we should think of the meaning of the word Buddha. We should not hang up the name. If you’re hung up in the name then discrimination comes. If you don’t concentrate on the meaning, if you just hang up in the word Buddha, without understanding the meaning, you are discriminating. You are saying Buddhism is the only path, discriminating. My path is the best. I am not saying like this. My path is completely ... my own path is only to enter darkness.

Then in order to offer just a brief explanation on the gradual path to enlightenment. This has four basic outlines, and the last one is how to lead the disciple of the actual teaching on the gradual path to enlightenment. This has two outlines:

i) How to do the guru practice, which is the root of the path and how to train the mind in the gradual path to enlightenment by following the guru.

So the whole path is divided into three. It is shown in these three paths, according to the different levels of intelligence of the sentient being. As one person’s mind develops, all three of these paths are shown to lead him into enlightenment. So in order to receive enlightenment for the benefit of others, it is necessary to complete the realization of the gradual path of the higher being and that depends on completing the realization of the gradual path of the middle beings and that depends on completing the realization of the gradual path of the lower intelligent being. Part of the meditation subject is from the gradual path of the lower being.

Then perfect human rebirth, which we have just finished. Secondly, meditation on the usefulness of the perfect human rebirth. The perfect rebirth has three great meanings that can be obtained. What I was talking about yesterday was tantra practice. Having the chance to receive enlightenment in the lifetime by practicing mahaannutara yoga tantra, that is only in this continent, in this rebirth, human beings who have received a perfect human rebirth. Suras and asuras, don’t have this body. Because they are not born from parents they don’t have a body which has seed, red seed and white seed, so they can’t use the body to practice the Vajrayana, mahaannutara yoga tantra. Things like that. Also on other human continents there is no way to receive the mind renouncing samsara and it is extremely difficult to receive bodhicitta. Even though they are born from parents, they have other problems that hinder the practice of Vajrayana and generally of the Mahayana teachings. It is difficult to receive the mind renouncing samsara. It’s easy to receive bodhicitta and much more powerful with our present perfect rebirth, easier to realize. Emphasize that.

And also Vajrayana—there are a thousand buddhas who descend to this earth to spread the Dharma to the world after each degeneration, but there is not always the Vajrayana teaching because there is no sentient being who can show the path to enlightenment by the Vajrayana teaching. There is no sentient being whose mind is capable, is receptive to sentient beings, even though there are thousands of buddhas that descend all the time, they don’t show Vajrayana teachings. This is Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s time, one of the periods now, where there is the chance to practice Vajrayana teachings to receive enlightenment quickly.

So therefore, generally it is extremely difficult to meet the Buddhadharma generally. By thinking like this it can be understood that people who practice Buddhadharma, generally there are less people who practice Buddhadharma than other religions. All the time there are very few. And people who practice the Mahayana path are very, very few. Among them, those who meet the Vajrayana teachings and practice them is extremely rare. To meet these teachings is very rare. In certain countries there are Mahayana teachings but no Vajrayana, bodhisattva teachings but no Vajrayana teachings; you can hear Buddhadharma but you can’t hear bodhicitta, even the name bodhicitta you can’t hear. So therefore, what I emphasize is that we are extremely fortunate to be born in such a time and that there is such a method, if we want to practice, we can, and experience it. Even just having the opportunity, knowing this, to hear the profound teachings to enlightenment. To quickly benefit, to be able to quickly guide the sentient beings.

Then, as we practice these fundamental meditations on the gradual path to enlightenment, as one has wished to also meet the Vajrayana teachings, when one prays, when one visualizes Buddha, this opportunity can definitely happen, the methods and the experience can happen as the Vajrayana teaching is living now in the minds of the highly realized lamas. This is about how it is highly meaningful to obtain the ultimate goal. Now, how this precious human rebirth is highly meaningful, even in such a short time, in seconds and minutes.

First, as Nagarjuna, the highly realized Mahayana philosopher who received enlightenment in the lifetime through Vajrayana practice, as he explained, by this virtue, “May all the sentient beings receive the two holy kayas,” which means body, but not actually mean body like this. However, by this virtue, may all the sentient beings receive the two holy kayas, the enlightenment stage which is received by completing the accumulations, or the merits of transcendental wisdom and the merits of fortune, which means the merits collected by practicing the wisdom and method paths. So like this. How quickly one can receive enlightenment depends on the question, how much purification one does, how quickly and how wide, and how quickly and how wide the extensive merits are that one collects—that quickly one can attain enlightenment.

How quickly one can receive enlightenment depends on individual actions. Before I mentioned that enlightenment is a stage completely free of all the obscurations and perfected in all knowledge. So it is a stage that is received by completing all merits. At the same time whole purification is finished. The work of collecting merits created with karma ... the collected merits to receive enlightenment are completed at that time and the work of purification is completed at that time. So working for enlightenment, that is something, if one does it, it is something that can be finished, it has an end, but the worldly samsaric work never finishes until we are free, have escaped from samsara. How much it carries on it has no end, but the work for enlightenment however much you have done, it finished that much, as one is that much closer to enlightenment, the higher blissful state of enlightenment, that much closer, you have finished that much work.

However, how quickly one can receive the blissful state of enlightenment depends on how much purification one does and on one’s merits. So what is the best method? I am concerned to receive enlightenment quickly, to be able to guide sentient beings. Therefore I want quickly to purify and create merits, but what is the best method to do this? This is to train the mind in the bodhicitta. And by making the bodhicitta that has been received increase. Like this.

As I mentioned before once, even when you do the breathing meditation, even if one does not have the actual realization of bodhicitta, with the thought of bodhicitta, the motivation, even just breathing in and out without effort, an easy action, with bodhicitta, one has created infinite merits. As infinite as space. How in such a short time one creates so many merits is because the number of sentient beings for whom we have dedicated our actions are not just on this earth, easily counted. Not just the animals and creatures on this earth, a certain number, not like this. There are innumerable universes, numberless animals, naraks, pretas, suras and asuras. Like this, the number of the sentient beings is infinite.

It is said by the highly realized bodhisattva Shantideva, “Even just by thinking I want to cure the brain disease of the sentient beings, the person receives unimaginable benefit, having this beneficial thought.: It is without question, wishing to stop each sentient being’s suffering. It is without question, wishing to stop the unhappiness of each sentient being. What he is saying is that sentient beings who has even the thought arising, who think, I want to cure sentient beings who have brain disease, just one particle, by having this beneficial thought one makes unimaginable purification and creates unimaginable merits.

As Shantideva has explained, it is without question how it is immeasurable, infinite, unimaginable the merits and purification one makes. The person wishes to stop, pacify each of the sentient beings’ unhappiness, all problems, all sufferings. That is without question, no need to explain, even just by motivating like this. As he explained like this. The number of sentient beings is infinite, so therefore as you are motivated to benefit one sentient being, two sentient beings, we are talking making it a little bit simple, so in a short time, when we do the action with the motivation of bodhicitta, one has collected infinite merits. Many of the negative karmas collected in previous lifetimes, no matter how heavy, one purifies many other previous lives’ negative karma in such short time. Like this.

Then breathing out, then when we breathe in light, with the motivation of bodhicitta again we have collected infinite merit and again made extensive purification. Same thing when we offer incense. Thinking that I am going to make this offering to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, or visualizing Guru Shakyamuni Buddha I am going to make this offering to Guru Shakyamuni Buddha to receive enlightenment for all the kind mother sentient beings. So just by this, your life becomes highly meaningful in such a short time. Again collecting infinite merit causes purification which is a cause of enlightenment, in such a short time when one dedicates by these merits. May these merits be received by each of the sentient beings and may I quickly receive enlightenment. Again one’s purpose in life becomes highly meaningful with this beneficial thought. Again one has collected infinite merit and extensive purification.

These are just example on how life can be made highly meaningful, beneficial for each sentient being. How the life can be practically used. Then the same thing. When we eat food and drink, at the time also, before eating and drinking there is a way, eating is more important, it can be made beneficial to all the sentient beings. When you go to Katmandu, maybe you have a cup of coffee, or tea on that road close to the stupa, bodhanath. The main thing is to go to Katmandu for the visa but you can have some enjoyment by the way. Like using the breathing meditation on the path to enlightenment. It is the same thing while eating food, which we have to do without choice. So again there is a way to use this on the path to enlightenment. Then, thinking like this is useful.

If you can do what is written in the supplementary notes, the book that was given in previous courses then very good. First checking one’s own mind. Then trying to understand one’s own mind, how it is…

…try to understand the nature of mind. Then if I am eating with anger this is a cause to be born in the naraks. Then attachment causes one to be born in the suffering realm as a preta. Also think if I eat with ignorance then that can be a cause to be reborn as an animal. Then the third thing is whether eating is self-cherishing thought or not. Like, this food I want to eat for my happiness. Like you don’t think of any other sentient being, the main motivation is one’s own self, one’s own happiness. If it is like this, think, “Oh! How can I eat this food and drink for my own happiness, for myself? How can I eat this with self-cherishing thought?: If it is a plate of rice think these rice came from field, at the beginning people planted it, people have suffered so much, in the field, under the hot sun, they suffered much, many times putting water, many times they have to plough the land, the field, many animals and creatures get killed. And many times doing this, and when they take it off, many creatures besides the farmer suffer so much. The farmer sells, people buy it, it is transported, so much suffering, especially for that. Finally this rice came from another rice and like this people suffered for the continuation of this rice. Like this.

So now finally we have on our plate, after all sentient beings’ sufferings, then the person can eat for oneself, he enjoys for oneself, if he eats with self-cherishing thought and only concern for his own happiness then how is it? It is kind of terrible, very upsetting, isn’t it? So then think this is received by the kindness of so many sentient beings who worked and suffered. Similar with the vegetables. I am not going to describe anymore, you can understand, we have one example with rice. So same with vegetables. You can understand, we are very intelligent, you know. So I opened the door.

Think like this, all this is received, then the second time think if the mind has the motivation of self-cherishing thought or not, whether I want to eat it for my own benefit. Then think all that depends on you, how much you want to think of it. Then think the whole day, meditate the whole day, and keep the food for tomorrow, keep the food in the refrigerator and have it tomorrow. Then after thinking this is received by the kindness of many sentient beings who suffered, so how dare can I eat for my own happiness? Like this, you know, even for one small grain of rice sentient beings suffered and killed, how can I dare eat this with self-cherishing thought? Without making this action beneficial for sentient beings.

When you really see these other things, how kind and how numberless sentient beings suffered for this, even one grain of rice, you dare not eat. It is difficult to put into the mouth, without putting it to some benefit, something practical to benefit sentient beings. So think this is received by the kindness of sentient beings. How dare I eat it with self-cherishing thought. Then you must make actions of drinking and eating this food beneficial for sentient beings, especially those who died and suffered, who worked. Then you cultivate the motivation of bodhicitta in order to receive enlightenment for the benefit of all the kind mother sentient beings. I am going to make this food offering to Guru Shakyamuni Buddha in order to receive enlightenment for all the kind mother sentient beings. Then after the motivation you make the visualization of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha in the heart. Not in the heart that is bumping. Not in that one. In the heart from where all happiness comes and from where all suffering comes. That one.

Then you visualize in the center of your body Guru Shakyamuni Buddha seated on the lotus and sun and moon disc, radiating. Again don’t think kind of a solid statue of brass or cement that is there, then you make a pain, so you visualize a radiating blissful holy body radiating like when we look at the sun, by making the eyes small, you see many rays coming. Purifying the delusions, sickness, negative karma; then after you have visualized Guru Shakyamuni Buddha like this…

…then each time that you eat if it is possible, until you finish the food, each time that you take the food, it is an offering to Guru Shakyamuni Buddha.

The food is also like the earth, this world. Like in the West when you go to an island and there is a jewel bowl like this, you think there is nectar inside, any color. Or you can think it is like melted silver. It is nectar whose nature is a blissful taste. Then when you are saying the prayer you can visualize like that, and think, “I am offering nectar.” Not just dhal and rice and vegetables for Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. Even though you can’t see nectar, but what Guru Shakyamuni Buddha receives is nectar, not dhal and rice, but nectar, infinite blissfulness. In our view it is ordinary food, salty, acidic, horrible, but in the view of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha and the buddhas—their view is completely different from ours. In their view they receive nectar. They have the completely pure view, when it contacts their senses it is nectar. If you visualize nectar or even when we make offerings outside to altars, when we make offerings visualizing Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, we receive merit, even though it is not our view. These details are explained in refuge.

If possible think Guru Shakyamuni Buddha is feeling blissfulness. If one can be mindful like this until one finishes, then the number of spoons that you take of food, each of these actions become Dharma and a cause of receiving enlightenment because it is possessed by the motivation of bodhicitta. Same thing with the drink. The drop of tea that you drink, if it is possessed by the motivation of bodhicitta then besides this action being Dharma, it is a cause of enlightenment and the cause of happiness of other sentient beings, so one’s own life becomes highly meaningful as one does each action mindfully. Like this.

So in that case maybe it is good to eat as much as possible! You buy a big plate, as big as possible. I’m joking, of course, you have to think of your health. Each time it is possessed by the bodhicitta motivation then it makes extensive purification and creates infinite merits. So I think I stop here.

The meditation will be, you remember how I have just explained that the perfect human rebirth can be made highly meaningful and those things about making offerings, remember if you can. First to receive enlightenment, as in Nagarjuna’s quotation, the merits have to be collected, have to be finished and the purification completed. First you think how the life can be highly meaningful. Then you think that all actions should be done with bodhicitta, for the sake of others, which makes the life highly meaningful, to receive enlightenment as soon as possible. So motivations, without the need to do those things again, then you can repeat the offering prayer with the visualization of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, as I explained.

[Dedication]

Lecture 14

Remember the motivation of bodhicitta, that I am going to listen to the teachings in order to receive enlightenment for all the kind mother sentient beings. Then also like this, just before coming to the meditation, to meditate just from one’s own room coming to the teachings, with the motivation: in order to receive enlightenment for the benefit of all the kind mother sentient beings, I am going to meditate; for that reason I am going to meditate, with that motivation coming to meditate. Even each step from the bed to meditation place that you have taken, with that motivation, even if you have a million golden coins, the value of them, of one million American golden coins, one step that you made to come to the meditation tent with the motivation of bodhicitta, the value of these coins can never compare with the value of one step that one makes, you know. Cannot compare. If one goes to the meditation place with that motivation, each step has benefits greater than the one million golden coins.

With the motivation of bodhicitta, making step the value of the coins is nothing, like this, if one can think, if one knows how to make the life meaningful even in that short time, until you start the meditation, if one knows how to make life meaningful while one is working, in each step from your room your life becomes highly meaningful, each minute each second. Then also even the great bodhisattva Shantideva has explained in his teachings, it is greater than making offerings to the buddhas, even just thinking to benefit others is much greater than making offering to the buddhas. It is without question. Actually working for the happiness of all sentient beings, without question, as Buddha has explained in that commentary in the Sutra teachings, “One person who prostrates with hands like this to as many buddhas as there are sand grains in the ocean, and offers that many universes filled up with seven different types of jewels offered to as many buddhas as there are grains of sand in the ocean, for that many eons, the person who prostrates like this thinking, ‘I am going to generate bodhicitta,’” making that many offerings to that many buddhas for that many eons. Without the motivation of bodhicitta if a person makes that much incredible offerings like that, since this is done without the motivation of bodhicitta, the benefits can never compare. That is very little compared to the person putting their hands together with the motivation of bodhicitta, thinking, “I am going to do this for the benefit of sentient beings.” So by thinking of this, the person has easily collected infinite merits and made purification.

For instance, when we recite the prayer Sangya ch’o dang tsogyi chog nam.la ..., which we repeat two or three times, if the person is concentrating on the prayer, “I am going to take refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha until enlightenment is received and by the merits of this charity and so on may I receive enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings,” As it is contained in the prayer like this, if one thinks of the meaning of this prayer, as one meditates like this, if the person just thinks the meaning of the prayer, just in a minute, the person’s perfect human rebirth becomes highly meaningful. The person has collected infinite merits just by that, so easily. Then the unimaginable negative karma of previous lifetimes get purified. Like this there are many other daily life actions we can do with bodhicitta, making the perfect human rebirth highly meaningful.

Also reciting mantra. Same thing, if one recites with the motivation of bodhicitta, one time, if one mantra is recited with bodhicitta motivation then in that minute, second, the person has collected infinite merits. Each mantra, two mantras, 100 times, each mantra recited with the motivation of bodhicitta at the beginning becomes the cause of all the sentient beings’ happiness and perfection. Also during the recitation if one cannot generate bodhicitta, no matter how long one recites mantra, generally like this ... thinking of the happiness of future lives and reciting mantra that is good, that has meaning, it is not meaningless. Still obtaining the meaning of human life, but this is greater for receiving nirvana to release one from the suffering realm of samsara, for that reason making the recitation of mantra gives greater meaning to the human life than before. But this can become the cause only of oneself to receive nirvana, one’s own peace. It doesn’t become the cause of one’s receiving enlightenment or other sentient beings’ happiness. So comparing the benefits, according to this action reciting the mantra with bodhicitta, the result of this, comparing that value with motivation of nirvana, there is no value to the latter.

Sometimes I feel like this. If you are reciting mantra and at the beginning you have forgotten to think of sentient beings, that number of mantra you have wasted. So again you have to repeat. Wasted energy. The mind is not happy, not satisfied without the motivation of bodhicitta. At the beginning of each session, when we cultivate the motivation of bodhicitta as we do the meditation, then a one hour meditation makes this perfect human rebirth highly meaningful and two hours, highly meaningful also. In the morning time, meal time, also after enjoying sunshine—I am joking. Here we haven’t got a beach but you can visualize. If you are missing your surfboard very much you can visualize, especially the Australian ones. For other countries I am not sure, anyway it doesn’t matter.

Then each meditation session like this, listening to teachings, when you read the book.. First you cultivate the motivation of bodhicitta when you start to read the book, simply, “In order to receive enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings I am going to read this Dharma book.” You can pray also, “May I clearly understand the meaning of the teaching and actualize it straight away.” Visualize Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, motivate, and then you can pray like this. Your life then becomes highly meaningful for all the sentient beings, not just for oneself. One whole day of our perfect human rebirth becomes highly meaningful.

The conclusion then is like this. Each time the action is done to cultivate the motivation of bodhicitta, that purifies infinite and extensive purification and it collects infinite merits, each time we get closer and closer to enlightenment by cultivating the motivation of bodhicitta with the action. That is how in a short time one can make the perfect human rebirth highly meaningful, in seconds, minutes, hours, to benefit all the sentient beings.

The conclusion is the three great meanings that can be obtained with this perfect human rebirth. The temporal goal, such as in a future life to be born as a king or as a rich person or to be born in the realm of suras and asuras. And also to have perfect enjoyments and surroundings. How? We can create the cause. The cause is moral conduct and charity, practicing patience. If one wishes to receive a perfect human rebirth in later life, then the cause can be created in this life using this perfect human rebirth, living in moral conduct, making charity, and prayers, the cause can be received. Even if one wishes to be born in a pure realm, with this perfect human rebirth, one can create the cause with moral conduct, charity, prayer, and meditation on the gradual path to enlightenment.

One time I asked Trijang Rinpoche, I can’t keep quiet so I asked him, I can’t close my mouth so I asked him. For me it is hopeless to be born in a pure realm, but I just asked knowing it is hopeless, a dream, can’t keep my mouth shut so I asked what is the method to be born in the pure realm. That is to do meditation on the gradual path to enlightenment. So actually it is nothing new that I didn’t know before, but it gave me a greater understanding. Made me think. Afterwards I realized that is true. But he did not mention one single word about Vajrayana so even though it is nothing new, that you have to understand lam-rim. Also you have to practice, but it gave greater understanding. It was like giving a key, not mentioning Vajrayana, but it gave greater understanding. Like giving a key, not mentioning Vajrayana but lam-rim—this is like, in the shops they make many things but they give you the most precious available beneficial valuable thing. People who have seen Trijang Rinpoche and been to Dharamsala may have some idea.

Then how the ultimate goal can be obtained with this perfect human rebirth is because it is possible to create the cause with this perfect human rebirth by practicing the three higher trainings of the path. Then receiving enlightenment by following the Mahayana path, collecting merits…

…in three countless great eons. Also even if you wish to receive enlightenment in this lifetime or in sixteen lifetimes, with this perfect human rebirth it is possible to make the co-operative practice of sutra and tantra.

Even in a second, minute, and hour this perfect human rebirth can be made highly meaningful by cultivating bodhicitta. As I mentioned before, one thing is to make the perfect human rebirth highly meaningful, as there are the different levels of virtuous mind but the way to obtain the greatest meaning is by cultivating, training the mind in bodhicitta. Yesterday, I mentioned, with more details, so if it has become more complicated, then just to make it straight. Then after the three great meanings how it can be obtained with the perfect human rebirth, then meditate like this ...

…by following the wrong conceptions, the evil thought of the worldly Dharmas, attachment seeking only the happiness of this life, and wrong conception, truly holding the “I,” believing the “I” truly exists, then self-cherishing thought—by following these wrong conceptions, especially the self-cherishing thought, while my perfect human rebirth is highly meaningful, great meaning can be obtained with each second, minute, but how much by following these wrong conceptions, especially self-cherishing thought, how much I have been wasting. Think like this. I have been wasting so much while it is highly meaningful in such a short time, but not making an effort. Not using the perfect human rebirth to obtain the greatest meanings. How much each second and minute I have been wasting this highly meaningful perfect human rebirth in such a short time. This is a greater loss than losing universes full of jewels. Then also by following these wrong conceptions, while this perfect human rebirth can be meaningful to obtain the ultimate goal, I have been wasting it. Not using the perfect human rebirth to obtain the ultimate goal is a greater loss then losing universes full of jewels. Try to feel this.

Following these wrong conceptions, the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas, attachment, seeking only the happiness of this life—while the perfect human rebirth is highly meaningful to obtain the temporal goals, both for happy rebirths in future lives, how much I have been wasting, without using it to create causes for this temporal goal. This perfect human rebirth, perfect enjoyments, how much I have been wasting them until now. Then think this is a greater loss than losing universes full of jewels. Try to feel this loss. The value of the missing jewels.

Even if one has that many possessions, one universe full of jewels, that cannot stop the rebirth of the lower transmigrators. It cannot help. Same thing, that many material possessions do not have the value to help you receive nirvana or the ultimate goal, enlightenment. That alone cannot help to create infinite merit and make purification in such a short time. Even if one has that many possessions. The reason I use this example with material possessions is because if you have one diamond you put in a box, a small box. Then there is another box, and three, four, or five keys. How much we take care of the key. We don’t want to show other people. There is danger to show other people, you want to hide it. You see why we take care is much, even if the possession is in the house, again we remember. You worry maybe some people may come in the room and steal it, come through the window. Even in the nighttime you think of that, you see how much we take care.

But we don’t take care of our perfect human rebirth as we take care of that small diamond. We use our perfect human rebirth like garbage, like the toilet, it is used like the garbage pot you know. I am sorry. Like this. First if you think of material things it is easy to understand value. Especially a person in business, then after that you think universes full of jewels, that much I have. Think of the value of that and the value of the perfect human rebirth as the same. That many jewels can’t stop, as I have just explained, the birth of lower transmigrator, can not help rebirth of transmigrators, nirvana, or enlightenment. Cannot help you receive infinite merits and make you see the value of this perfect human rebirth, which the jewels and possession don’t have. Then you can feel the value of this perfect human rebirth, through the example.

Then after that, first check on the three meanings, wasting each one ... the perfect human rebirth is highly meaningful in a short time, and highly meaningful to achieve the ultimate goal, a greater loss than that many jewels, and the same for temporal goals, then after thinking that, think, has my life been any different, higher that animals? Question yourself.

Then after checking, one can see how easily I have been wasting, by following the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas, attachment, seeking only the happiness of this life, not seeking temporal goals. When you check up this then you understand, by taking time in checking. After that question like this. Has my life been like this? Any different from that of an animal? You will find the answer by checking within your mind. Like this if I describe, as we are talking about life, people who think I am so terrific, I am so educated in the world, I am a chemist, I am a doctor, I am a psychologist, I am a president.

First we are talking like this, from the young time when they go to school the only aim they have in the mind is to be happy in only this life, to have reputations, that everyone knows you. To become an important person. Whether one thinks to become a doctor, a psychologist, whatever you expect, the main aim if it is questioned in the mind, it is just this life to be happy. So for this reason the young children go to school and study for years and years, day and night. I am not saying studying is a mistake, afterward you can understand. I am not saying education is bad, education of course is good. Studying, putting all their energy into that time, mind working, speech working, body working, finally the person has received what he wanted, the material, the degree, the certificate, the doctorate whatever it is called. Then again after that the PhD, A.B., whatever it is called. After you have received it, you have lived that long and finally you have got it. Then what? Then you work, make money. You worry to make money, then work, then work, that is the goal.

Then the person still leads their life. After having received this he works to get that amount of money. Until the death time, until the life ends. Same thing like this. One whole aim in the mind is just the happiness of this life. Even the teachers in the university, when they study, they study with the attachment to the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas, seeking only the happiness of this life, and even after they have got their degree, when they work, again, it is the same—again with the evil thought of the worldly Dharmas, seeking only the happiness of this life. Even after they have received all these names they have the same mind, same motivation. Same thing with business people.

So now we think other way. The creatures, the fish and those things in the ocean. They are so busy, those animals in the ocean. Why they keep themselves so busy swimming around is because they seek the happiness of this life and no other goal. To find food or things like that, they keep so busy in the ocean. They seek with attachment the happiness of this life. Same thing with the animals, creatures on the ground. Even the ants, crawling up, coming down, so busy running around. For what do they run? To seek the happiness of this life. Only this, being under the control of attachment. Similarly, you just watch in the city. Something like New York, California. You visualize wherever you are from. Not necessary always to be like New York. Whatever you know, wherever you’re from, that you visualize. In the street, people are in the houses, always so busy, you know. Going up and coming down, going by bus, coming by car, going by airplane. Always so busy. Another way, it is just different from animals, except the poor animals don’t have vehicles, you know. They don’t have airplanes, they get killed by huge spray. Many things like that.

Then also you think. You must meditate like this. You have a very rich apartment, inside there are people with hundreds and hundreds of different types of clothing. Always having rich food. They think I am so well educated, having this and that, then compare the outside animals, the dog, the buffaloes, the horses. Just check. Those outside animals sleep, seeking only the happiness of this life. With only that mind. They sleep, eat, play, with this mind outside the apartment.

Then you think of those people who are inside the house, who think I am so well educated, so wise, expert, then think—I am telling you how to meditate. Then think, meditate on this daily life, with what mind does he do all the daily life actions from morning until night, dinner, breakfast, talking, working, sleeping, all the daily actions. With what kind of mind does this? With only the thought of the happiness of this life. With attachment, with that mind. So now you check, the way of living the life is different than the animals who eat grass, who don’t have any clothes to wear. Think, check like this. Is there any difference in the person inside the house who is educated and wise? Think whether the person is any higher than their way of thinking and living their life. Is there any difference? Like this check up.

Same thing, whatever action is done during the day with self-cherishing thought, with attachment, seeking only happiness of this life. By mediating like this we discover that the person living in the rich apartment who is well educated is nothing higher than an animal because his way of thinking is not higher than the non-human being, animals. Well then, as long as the life is spent only with attachment, seeking the happiness of this life, in the eight worldly Dharmas, the way of thinking the same. So his mind is nothing higher than animals. Only having a house where the mind is temporarily staying, like a guest, staying in a guest-house, only the difference between having two legs, hands, talking—only by this outside, different shape, it is called a human being.

Then, think if I have spent my life so far ... my life hasn’t been any higher, more special than animals ... if I spend my life only to obtain the happiness of this life, is as if I am not born as a human being, spending the whole life like this. Why? Because the action is nothing higher or any more special than animals. As regards action, it doesn’t make any difference. Check like this. Also as long as I follow the wrong conception, I will waste the perfect human rebirth which can obtain the three great meanings. It will be a great loss not even obtaining the greatest meaning in a short time, not using it to obtain the ultimate and temporal goal. It will be great loss if I follow these wrong conceptions. Then I think I stop here.

[Talk by Sera Je Abbot, Rinpoche translating]

Lecture 15

Before listening to the teachings it is necessary to cultivate the pure motivation of bodhicitta, before the action becomes Dharma. Dharma the cause of happiness. Just that is not sufficient, it is necessary for the present action to become a cause of nirvana, a cause of receiving enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. The only way for this action to become a cause of enlightenment is by cultivating the motivation of bodhicitta. So therefore, it is necessary to feel like this at least from the heart, “I am going to listen to the teachings on the gradual path to enlightenment in order to receive enlightenment for the benefit of all the kind mother sentient beings.”

The listening subject which leads the fortunate one to enlightenment…besides what I explained yesterday, last night what the Abbot has said. There are reasons that explain this is the path through which all past, present, and future Buddhas have received enlightenment. In order to offer just a very brief explanation on the gradual to enlightenment—there are four outlines, the last one being how to lead the disciple of the gradual path to enlightenment.

The second meditation is the usefulness of the perfect human rebirth. So the checking meditation on the three great usefulnesses of the perfect human rebirth, then thinking that wasting each of these is a greater loss than wasting a universe full of jewels. Then checking the outside creatures, in the water, on the earth, and checking the ordinary people in cities. Also remembering the example of the wealthy person and animals, how only the outside looks different but the thinking is the same. The whole work is based on the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas, only for that reason it is done. Only for that reason it is done. Check for oneself. Then also try to understand oneself. How one’s life has been higher than other creatures, other human beings. Try to check up like this. Also as long as I follow these wrong conceptions it will be a great loss, not using the perfect human rebirth for obtaining the great meanings which becomes a cause for enlightenment even in a short time, second, minute. Also not using the perfect human rebirth to obtain the ultimate and temporal goals—how this is a great loss. Try to feel this, if I still carry on like this in the future, making conclusions about how to make the life practical and meaningful. Any work that is done for the happiness of only this, whatever it is, it doesn’t matter, whatever work it is, if it is done for only one’s own happiness, only for the happiness of this life, any of these actions do not contain the meaning of human life, nothing makes the human being special or more wise, this is not what makes the human being wiser than animals. No matter how much the worker is skillful in the happiness of this life, no matter how much he has breath, such as Hitler in Germany or like Mao, who has such power to control so many countries, who can kill millions of children, human beings, none of this has the meaning of the human life. And no matter how much this person is skillful and wise in regards to working for the happiness of this life, no matter how skillful and wise, no matter how much studying at University, their concern is how to make this life happy, studying all these things for one’s happiness. No matter how much one thinks one is wise, compassionate, since all this action is done for the happiness of this life, since he doesn’t make use of it for preparation of happiness of future lives, there is none of that.

Clearly talking about life—these who are not human beings use their life just to work for the happiness of this life. For non-human beings, it is almost impossible to create virtue in that life with the rebirth of the lower transmigrators. We can just understand by checking the birds who are in the trees, the cows eating grass, the ants crawling on the ground—just by checking you can understand whether they have the mind, capability to create virtue. By understanding the bees are always running by following the attachment, happiness of this life, just by checking you can clearly see it.

Then so the person, no matter how much power or education he has, no matter how much he spends, if he has used his education and all of these things for the preparation of the happiness of future lives, in regards not having made preparation for nirvana for the happiness of other sentient beings, it is the same. Same as those who are not. By checking we can understand, we have compassion. We have the chance to practice Dharma to develop the mind, to create good karma, from our side it is an object of compassion, who does not understand how to create good karma, whose minds are in complete darkness in these methods.

However like this, no matter how much you think he is not wise, the meditators who are living in the pure Dharma practice understand Dharma. Those in the city see those meditators who don’t have any material possessions, they don’t have any power such as kings or presidents. They don’t have clothes even to change, every day, they lead such s simple life. These ascetic meditators who live in pure Dharma practice, how they see outside people who have all the material possessions for this life, never creating good karma. In their view life is spent by following the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas, attachment to only happiness of this life. In their view they see it as childish. Like a person who is working in the darkness, not seeing the dangers, caves and things like that, so they only become objects of compassion.

Those other people think the meditators, those people who practice Dharma, those who don’t have material possessions and power as we have, are terrible, from their side they think those meditators are foolish. Doesn’t even know ABCD. How they are foolish. No matter how much they discriminate, they think the meditators are foolish. From their side they see people who practice Dharma, these meditators, they see how horrible and terrible a life they have. How can they experience happiness? They don’t have any of these things. The experience of the meditator is not their experience so they cannot imagine how they can be happy. They cannot imagine how such Dharma practice makes their life happy. Because of lack of understanding Dharma, it is not their experience. From the side of the meditator it is an object of laughing, object of compassion. The compassion from those people who renounced Dharma to the meditators who live an ascetic life is wrong compassion, having compassion for the meditators, who have great happiness in their mind, that is wrong compassion.

However regarding the work of the life, sometimes animals are far more skillful than human beings. They can do many things that human beings cannot do. In regards stealing, sometimes animals are more skillful than human beings. For example ants, the tiny creatures ants. The mouse, even though there are no windows and doors still they can get through and steal food. No matter how many high stones, still they can come to take food. In regards destroying one’s own enemies, animals are very skillful in cheating others. When the cat kills the mouse for his happiness, the cat is wise to hide and pretend he is not there. He doesn’t make noise. He keeps very quiet. And then cheating, for the happiness of oneself. Also the spiders how they catch the files, very skillful. We can’t make those webs.

When I was a small child about to read Tibetan texts, in those times I had two teachers who taught me the Tibetan alphabet. One passed away two years ago. So then from early morning you have to get up and read the texts, all through the day until nighttime. Maybe you can have peepee breaks, you can spend more time making peepee. Only sometimes when my teacher was relaxed, then sometimes he gives one free hour. Something like that. Otherwise all day I have to read very loudly, on and on like this. So when the teacher is not there—our house is a very simple house, so inside there are spiders. So I used to watch, instead of reading texts I used to watch the spiders and how they are skillful in catching small flies. They hide inside in a hole or in each corner, they are not in the middle of the web, the tent. Then when they get a fly in the tent then they come out when it moves. They check up to see if there are any creatures there. I looked very carefully when they ate flies, they do not eat from the head, the spider always eats from the bottom and they leave the head and the wings, then they throw it down. Like dropping from the airplane. Sometimes I am very negative you see, so I tease the spiders, throw things onto the spider’s webs. So then they come out to check up, but there is nothing to eat, so they run back or sometimes they drop it down.

Like this, tiny animals also have many disciplines. Ants and things like that. Birds also, they have kings and things, and birds control other birds. Can’t fly to certain countries. Also mice. They are very expert in their daily lives. They are very clever. After the people have gone to bed then they come out when it is quiet. And somehow they know how to steal the precious things. One time Max, who is one of the students, who is a nun, she made one robe, a zen. This is called a zen. She was going to Japan and she thought it would be very hot, so she made one zen, a very thin one. I don’t know what it is, doesn’t matter. So it was kept in the drawer, where clothes are kept with other clothes. So what happened was there were mice before, and my room had been their permanent residence. I’m not sure what happened. Lama Yeshe suggested that someone kick the mouse out of the room, so the mouse has to be chased. They got harmed, trying to catch them. I think they ran out, but afterward they came back again. Before they didn’t do anything, they destroyed nothing. Afterward when they came back, they went to the cupboard and found this robe which was folded like this up and down. So what they had done was bite it, there were three, four, five holes. So they were skillful to keep harm in mind, then give harm back.

There are many stories about the mice and other animals. In previous times in Tibet, this happened. One Kadampa called Geshe Langri Tangpa—this meditator, all the time he cries and he does not smile, he does not laugh. In his life he laughed only three times. One time that he laughed was when he was meditating in his cave, some mice were very busy running around near him, making noise, very busy. So then he looked at what they were doing, and there in the wall, there was a crack, and a hole in the floor—the mouse wanted to go through the hole with a turquoise they had stolen from a nearby Tibetan family. But the mouse could not carry it…

…while the meditator was watching, one mouse laid down as a bridge, and another mouse tried to help and pushed the turquoise across his back to transport it to the other side. This meditator saw how skillful they were, working for the happiness of this life. This made him laugh one time. There are many other stories like this.

However we think having power to fly in space is special in human life. It is nothing special. Even the non-human creatures, the birds and many tiny creatures can fly around in space, even though their minds are completely ignorant of karma, of the cause of suffering. Numberless times we have flown in space when we were birds and butterflies. Flying in space is nothing surprising. Also many times when we were butterflies we were caught and put in the museum for having beautiful wings. We think that having an aura of light very special thing, but it is not a special thing. We have had this experience numberless times, having a body of light, because numberless times we were born in the realm of the gods, suras, asuras. Also we were born as original human beings with bodies of light. Even certain spirits, pretas, also some certain types of bodies have rays of light coming from their bodies, those who have limited ordinary psychic powers. Numberless times we have had like this.

People get surprised if you can bend things without any tools, with just hands, knives of iron, people think it is a special great power. It is nothing special. By elementary power, if you have a special rock, element, you can do things, you can make concrete things with the hands. With mantras there are many things that you can do. Black magic and things like that. You can have all different things. Western people think it is a very special power to be able to walk on water, if a person can walk on the river. There are many mantras with which you can have all kinds of different powers, to be things. Not a surprise.

If I just make conclusion, like this. One Kadampa, a meditator called Geshe Purchungwa, asked one Kadampa meditator Tsengawa what would you prefer of the five clear perceptions.

One clear perception is being able to read other people’s thoughts. The clear perception, the ear of the gods, with this, even though you don’t speak the language other sentient beings are talking you can understand their language. This is the clear perception of the ear of the gods. Then one clear perception, one psychic power, is that any different place where there are sentient beings that you want to work for without any difficulties, without the physical difficulty of walking, anything like that, with psychic power you can be there right away. One clear perception is that you can remember past lives and see clearly the future lives of oneself and other sentient beings. One clear perception is being skillful to show the method to the person, because the person doesn’t have the clear perception to reach his thought. So being skilful in regards showing method, explaining Dharma, different teachings, how to lead the person’s mind gradually from that level of mind, in the path.

So like this there are about five clear perceptions, and eight siddhis and having unshakeable concentration which can last for eons which nothing can disturb.

…having all the power and knowledge and practicing training the mind in the gradual path to enlightenment. “Which would you prefer to practice, the gradual path to enlightenment or to have these powers, these clear perceptions and the eight siddhis and unshakeable concentration?”

So the Kadampa meditator Tsengawa said, “Forget the graduated path of enlightenment, more than having all these five clear perceptions and eight siddhis, I would much prefer just even the mind facing the teachings of the gradual path to enlightenment. Thinking about the gradual path to enlightenment, mind facing it, wondering how it is.” He answered like this, this great bodhisattva. “I would much prefer this wondering about the gradual path to enlightenment, wanting to know about it.” Why? Because those other powers, those unshakeable one-pointed concentrations we have had numberless times in other previous lives, it is nothing new, but that didn’t help us to be free from samsara. However, the gradual path to enlightenment can make oneself to be free from samsara, so the reason is this.

Even the clear perception of being able to see past and future, even the gods, the suras, the sentient beings who are living in samsara have these powers. Not by the meditation practice but by the power of the karma. At the death time suras can remember, when they hear the sound of death which says after seven days you are going to die. This sign of death comes. After having that sign by karma they can remember clearly their past life, where they came from, and can see into the future life, where they are going to be born. So they see that they are going to be born in the realm of lower transmigrators, in the preta or narak realm. Then they have unbelievable, unimaginable, incredible mental suffering, because they don’t want to leave those perfect enjoyments and material possessions. They don’t want to separate from it, they don’t want to leave it. They don’t want to receive the suffering rebirth, but they have to take it because there is no choice. So there is incredible mental suffering they have to go through. Even the pretas, the hungry ghosts, they have a little bit of powers. They can tell a little bit about the past and the future. There is nothing special in human life.

Some people spend the whole life making prostrations and reciting mantra. Of course it is good compared to other things, but the person who is satisfied with only doing this without meditation on the gradual path to enlightenment, this is kind of one track. However that is still not the most practical, the most meaningful life, the most beneficial. It is not the greatest meaning of the life, just satisfying that is not completely right. By not doing any Dharma practice, purifying negative karmas. Of course it is much better than doing nothing. But if one does not understand the teaching on the gradual path to enlightenment and practice then it is not right in a small way.

How to make the life most meaningful is not to just make preparation for the future lives, not just to receive nirvana, in order to receive enlightenment for the benefit of all the sentient beings. Try to finish actualizing the gradual path to enlightenment. Try to make the mind closer to the realizations of the gradual path to enlightenment, year by year, month by month, day by day in order to receive enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. That is most important. On the basis of purification, practice, making mandala offering, reciting mantra, making prostration, making offerings to the merit field, to Shakyamuni Buddha, trying to make the mind closer and closer to enlightenment, moment by moment, day by day, to enlighten other sentient beings. That is the greatest meaning of the human life.

In the gradual path to enlightenment as regards the subject, there are many meditations... the sutra gradual path and tantra gradual path, Vajrayana gradual path—there is a whole gradual path to enlightenment. Just in the fundamental gradual path to enlightenment, which is necessary—the general fundamental gradual path is the sutras, then there is the Vajrayana gradual path, so if one is practicing all these, that is the most important thing. There are so many meditations on the fundamental gradual path. So what is more important? At the beginning, now, my mind has not received, is not a mind renouncing samsara. I don’t have realization wisdom, realization of shunyata, I don’t have realization of bodhicitta, I don’t have any fundamental realizations of the gradual path. I haven’t received any realizations of the meditation. And now there are so many things to practice. Also if one has taken Mahayana initiation, then so many things to practice. Where should I put more energy? I don’t have time to spend on all these meditations so what is the most beneficial thing to concentrate on?

At the beginning even if one is practicing Vajrayana at the same time it is more important to put more energy not into the Vajrayana but into fundamental meditations. Try to 1) train the mind in renouncing samsara then; 2) wisdom realizing shunyata and; 3) bodhicitta; these are the qualifications to enter the Vajrayana path and to receive enlightenment. Even if one is practicing Vajrayana.

The meditations that we are going to discuss during the course are these three. Many times it happened like this—the person who does not train the mind in these fundamental paths, especially not training the mind in the wisdom realizing shunyata, and bodhicitta, there have been meditators who have spent whole lifetimes meditating on the deities, like Heruka, and reciting mantras and visualizing deities. After they died they were born in the narak realms; this was explained by the great bodhisattva Atisha to his Tibetan disciple Dromtonpa. If one is not careful there is danger. He had psychic powers so he can see some meditators who were born in the naraks, not knowing how to practice.

Then also this happened one time in Tibet. There are three meditators who made retreat. One hermit, one meditator he died, and after he died his friend, the other meditator made charity to the pretas. They had white flour ground from barley, put butter or honey, then they burn these in the fire in order to make charity to certain pretas who live on smell. They come to receive that. So one day he saw a very fearful preta coming to take the food smell. The outside looking shape was similar to the deity on which he was meditating, so afterward he checked up, then he found it was his friend. The meditators of these lineages have explained this. Why the person was born as a preta afterward is because his mind was not trained in this fundamental path, especially not bodhicitta. I think I stop here.

You can remember what I have explained, things which are not meaning of the human life. Remember those things that are meaningful to the human life and these three principal paths.

Lecture 16

Motivation: I am going to listen to the teachings on the gradual path to enlightenment, in order to receive enlightenment for the purpose of enlightening all the kind mother sentient beings.

So, I was talking this morning even if one is practicing Vajrayana, what is more important is where to put energy, when one has not received fundamental realizations. According to the level of your mind, where should one put more energy? That is in the fundamental realization of the lam-rim. These three principal paths 1) the mind renouncing samsara; 2) the wisdom realizing shunyata; and 3) bodhicitta.

As I explained in those stories one who practices Vajrayana, who spends their lifetime in meditation on deities and reciting mantra never concentrating on lam-rim, on the three principals of the path, as Atisha explained, in previous times certain meditators were born in the naraks through practicing Vajrayana. Story of meditators born as pretas, and also this happened with one person, having similar form to the deity of Yamantaka. This happened in a place called Pempo in Tibet, where Lama Yeshe was born.

Then there are many other stories from previous times in India, like this, where meditators practiced visualizing deities without their minds being trained in these basic meditations. Instead of the person entering the Mahayana path, instead of entering into the Vajrayana path and receiving enlightenment, then afterwards he fell down in the lesser vehicle path. He was trying to practice Vajrayana, but he fell down by the mistake of not having trained in bodhicitta. Instead of entering the Mahayana path to practice Vajrayana and achieve enlightenment he fell down in the lesser vehicle path. Then someone told Atisha, “In India such-and-such a meditator fell down in the lesser vehicle path.” Then Atisha said, “Pala-pala,” which I think the Tibetans say if they lose something. It is an expression of loss if someone dies or something is lost. “Still, he could have been born in the naraks,” he said, “It was good he wasn’t born in the naraks.”

There are meditations such as tum-mo meditations, meditations on the heat, the flames to get the bliss and the heat in the body. So by meditating on the heat, even if you are in such a place where you feel the cold, if you don’t wear clothes, even if you put the clothes in cold water and put them on the body in a few seconds they dry. Such things are recognized as very high practice, but if one does not meditate, if one does not practice these fundamental realizations, bodhicitta and the mind renouncing samsara, if one is not practicing this, this meditation alone on the heat on the body cannot make one receive enlightenment, it cannot bring you more quickly to enlightenment, it is just meditating on the fire. Just that alone does not become any purification if doesn’t do anything to bring you closer to enlightenment.

All these meditations on the chakras and nadis, what is called kundalini, none of these practices that are recognized as profound become a shortcut path to enlightenment. If one avoids practicing bodhicitta and the mind receiving enlightenment, those meditations never become the cause of receiving enlightenment. Since the person has not received bodhicitta, any of that kind of meditation, no matter how profound and secret, it cannot become the cause of reaching enlightenment. It cannot become Mahayana Dharma, just that kind of practice alone. Without bodhicitta, without practicing these three principal paths, then it cannot become the cause of even nirvana, if the person is not practicing or doesn’t have these basic realizations. What the person is practicing, what we call tantra. Without these three realizations it does not become tantra, it does not ever become a cause of nirvana for oneself. Besides that there is also the danger, since the person practices all these meditations with just the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas with attachment to this life, “If I practice this meditation so I can teach other people, these yogas and the chakras, so that I can have certain powers.” That kind of expectation just for the happiness of this life. This is the same as the ordinary person making business in the shops, no difference. The person who doesn’t know of these meditations and practices business as regards Dharma is the same thing. It does not become a cause of happiness, same thing. Therefore it is extremely important to train the mind in these three principal paths.

What makes these practices, such as meditating on chakras and tum-mo meditations—they are introduced and explained in the Vajrayana teachings, how they are profound and how they are a shortcut path. But to become a short cut path and the Vajrayana path to enlightenment depends on the individual himself, it does not depend on the method. How these things become a shortcut path to enlightenment is by the power of bodhicitta, mainly by the power of bodhicitta. It is like this, the rocket or the airplane, the outward things, the wings, etc., but what makes it go up very quickly, the most important thing is the fuel. bodhicitta is like that. Vajrayana practice is the airplane itself, the outside things. Without fuel you cannot fly, so without bodhicitta Vajrayana practice does not become the shortcut path to enlightenment, so it depends on the individual. “I am practicing tantra,” whether it becomes tantra or depends on individual.

I make conclusion. This is important to understand. Without the realization of the mind renouncing samsara the person cannot receive nirvana. Actions done by the person not possessing the mind renouncing samsara cannot become the cause of nirvana. Then if the person does not have the wisdom realizing shunyata the person can never escape from the whole suffering realm of samsara. It is impossible. Because to become completely free of samsara means to completely cut the root of samsara. The main weapon to destroy the root of samsara is the wisdom realizing shunyata. So actions done by the person without being possessed by understanding of shunyata do not become remedy to samsara. Without receiving bodhicitta person can never receive enlightenment. Actions done by a person not possessing the thought of bodhicitta can never become a cause of receiving enlightenment. So you see how these three realizations are important. If you don’t practice these three you can never escape from samsara. This is extremely important to understand. Far more important than understanding chakras and those things, according to the level of our mind at this time. Opening chakras—when we die the chakras open. At the death time they naturally open.

Then again, bodhicitta and wisdom realizing shunyata, the three realizations—in order to receive bodhicitta you should have the realization of the mind renouncing samsara. The person who practices the Mahayana teaching, who tries to train mind in bodhicitta, when he receives the mind renouncing samsara, at that time he easily receives bodhicitta. When he looks at it, there is aversion to his own samsara, the mind wanting to renounce it. So after receiving this realization when he looks by seeing clearly how one’s own samsara is in the nature of suffering, by feeling this unbearably, after that when he looks at other sentient beings who are also in the nature of suffering, then great compassion arises. As he has strong mind renouncing samsara, he easily feels unbearable, then compassion, and that is how bodhicitta is actualized in the mind of that person. The mind renouncing samsara is the basis of bodhicitta, it comes, you understand. So the person practicing the Mahayana teaching, by receiving bodhicitta enters into the path, and that person who has actualized bodhicitta is the real Mahayanist.

Then, bodhicitta and wisdom realizing shunyata—which is more important to practice? Which is meaningful to practice? You see without bodhicitta even if you have realized shunyata you can still not enter the Mahayana path to receive enlightenment, you are still no Mahayanist. The arhats who are free from samsara have incredible knowledge and psychic powers, those high beings are completely free from delusions. They have full realization of shunyata but they are still not Mahayanist. The new bodhisattva who has not achieved realization of shunyata, who does not have high psychic powers like arhats, who doesn’t have as much knowledge as arhats, just a new bodhisattva who has just actualized bodhicitta, even before the arhat entered the Mahayana path this new bodhisattva already entered the Mahayana path. He became closer to enlightenment than the arhat, by the power of bodhicitta.

You see even if one does have the mind renouncing samsara and the wisdom realizing shunyata, if one does not have bodhicitta then one falls into the lesser vehicle path, receives nirvana and becomes an arhat by following lesser vehicle path. After he receives nirvana, his mind is absorbed and distracted by that blissful state, like the musician, the person who spends whole day playing music, listening with his whole attention, paying no attention to anything else. mind is completely distracted by the music, all day spent on that. The whole time he is distracted so he doesn’t care about other things, outside, he doesn’t care if he doesn’t get lunch. The whole time his mind is completely occupied by that. Like this, in that blissful state the arhat stays for many eons. Then after an incredible length of time, as the time is ready, Buddha persuades his mind by sending light or things like that, explaining to follow the Mahayana path for the benefit of other sentient beings. Then, gradually following the Mahayana path, he receives enlightenment.

In previous times, it happened like this. I’ll tell one story. When Guru Shakyamuni Buddha was in India, there was one arhat who had many disciples and he was going to give teachings to these disciples. I am not sure of the number. Many of these disciples receive teachings and he is going to give teachings. So there is danger that many of the disciples will hear teachings and enter into the lesser vehicle path and receive arhat. So therefore, the bodhisattva Manjushri went to the arhat before he gave teachings to the disciples, the bodhisattva, the Tibetan name is Jampel, he went to give teachings, and just before the arhat taught; he showed the Mahayana teaching. For some people teachings do not fit, so heresy arises in their mind.

So what happened was by arising heresy those persons have created negative karma which makes them be reborn in the naraks. Then all of a sudden Vajrapani with his psychic power realized that those followers who have arisen heresy were born there. Vajrapani went and explained to Guru Shakyamuni Buddha, “bodhisattva Jampel went to give teachings to those followers, to the arhat who is going to give teachings and he made some those disciples be born in the naraks by arising heresy.” Guru Shakyamuni Buddha said, “No, it is not like this.” Why? Because it is skillful if he didn’t give Mahayana teaching, then if the arhats comes to give teachings to those disciples, by showing this teachings in Mahayana, many of these disciples would receive the mind renouncing samsara and bodhicitta and enter the lesser vehicle path, then receive the state of an arhat. Then for so many incredible eons they don’t receive enlightenment, so before the arhats receive enlightenment, before they enter Mahayana path, those disciples who have arisen heresy, they will be born again as human beings after being born in the narak realms. And because of previous impressions left on the mind they will enter into the Mahayana path right away and they will receive enlightenment before the arhat enters into the Mahayana path and receives enlightenment. So while the arhat is there these followers, from here they are born in the narak realms and from there born in the upper realm and can enter the Mahayana path and receive many things.

This is how Guru Shakyamuni Buddha explained it. That is not a mistake because bodhisattva Jampel is very skillful in regards guiding the sentient beings. The main point I am emphasizing is how bodhicitta is important.

[BREAK]

So where one should put more energy, what is more important, the meditation on shunyata or bodhicitta? From these two, bodhicitta. The reason I explained before, even if one has received the wisdom realizing shunyata, if that action is not possessed by bodhicitta, then that action does not become a cause of receiving enlightenment, it still does not become a Mahayana action, like the arhats of the Vajrayana path. I would say that even if the person did not hear about shunyata in the life, if the person has not actualized bodhicitta in the life, but he trained his mind in the bodhicitta, I would say his life is more meaningful than the person who had never trained his mind in bodhicitta.

Also even the person who collected many merits and made purification by never having meditated on bodhicitta. At one session in one hour the person making meditation on bodhicitta and especially on the gradual path to enlightenment, lam-rim, in one session this merit cannot compare to the person who did purification every day for one hundred years, he collected many merits. Without training the mind in bodhicitta, all that purification, that is done by the person who meditates on lam-rim and that is mainly by the power of bodhicitta. Also it is said, by lam-rim meditators, when you die, if you have a lam-rim text at your pillow where you put your head and if you remember lam-rim at death time, then you don’t get born in the lower realms. It has been the experience of meditators.

However one emphasizes this ... how to make the mind closer to the gradual path of enlightenment, year by year, month by month, day by day, like this how to obtain this greatest meaning of the human life. Just making very short what can be done in one’s daily life. If it is possible, visualizing Guru Shakyamuni Buddha making purification with mantra, however if one follows the prayer, the different form of practices, either one follows how to make daily life practice on the gradual path to enlightenment, these small short prayers, one can follow these different practices, purifying and collecting and collecting merits. Visualize, then taking refuge, cultivating bodhicitta, mandala offerings, then the seven limb practice, it is extremely important to do this, without it enlightenment cannot be received. However then, the most important thing is if one can do this with the visualization of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha reciting mantra, making purification. Read the direct meditation on gradual path to enlightenment.

There is a short prayer in the morning prayer (J’or Cho Puja). This is written by Lama Tsongkhapa. This contains all the essence on the gradual path, both sutra and tantra gradual path to enlightenment, it is contained there. It is extremely important, even if the level of one’s own mind is very low, none of these realizations have been received but it is important every day to use this method. I will explain. It is not learned by heart; you just read it. Most important is to be mindful of the subject while you are reading this, because the point is as you read this short direct meditation on the whole gradual path to enlightenment it plants an impression, leaves a seed in your mind every time you read the different paths there. It is a very short prayer. Then how quickly or slowly one says it is one’s own choice. Even to spend one hour in one verse, meditating on the subject is one’s own choice.

While you are reading it is important—without being mindful you can’t leave an impression on your mind, you can’t plant the seed. Every day as one repeats this prayer, each day your life becomes meaningful, because each day you have planted a seed of sutra and tantra paths up to enlightenment. You have made preparation in your mind each day, so even just by that much your mind becomes closer to enlightenment by planting one more impression to the gradual path to enlightenment. This is one of the most important things to read, this direct meditation. The whole point is to enlighten oneself quickly so one can enlighten all other sentient beings.

So after saying this, usually we repeat the mantras, then I start to give teachings. Instead of giving teachings if you have time then… the meditation subject, even though so much has not been done, now I just give the idea to do in the daily life. After the mantra if there is time, either you make time, twenty-five minutes, one hour, at least fifteen minutes, then do specific checking meditation. One day perfect human rebirth, second day usefulness of perfect human rebirth, third day on the difficulty of receiving the perfect human rebirth, fourth day on impermanence and death; different meditation chapter after each of these. In each day, according to time you can spend hours and hours or spend a short time. So reading direct meditation is one method, one skill.

The second part of making specific meditation in each day, fifteen minutes or whatever that is trying to have what is called “experience with effort.” Trying to understand clearly each of these basic meditations, shunyata…

…down to bodhicitta. This is called “experience with effort.”

Then after you have the idea of each meditation clearly, what one has to do is make the effortless experience, after you have clearly understand all the meditations, all the outlines. After this you spend more time on perfect human rebirth until you receive the effortless experience, then you spend time, weeks and weeks, months and months, no matter how long it takes this experience of the meditation. Try to finish experiencing the meditation. Then after that then you try to realize the usefulness of the perfect human rebirth, and the difficulty of receiving it. Then you spend each meditation after this, today perfect human rebirth, tomorrow perfect human rebirth, the day after ... like this until you get the actual experience.

So like this, one has to meditate until one gets the effortless experience. Then bodhicitta, shunyata. So at the beginning first we understand the whole meditation, each one done each day, for a while until we have a clear idea. Afterwards one can do the effortless experience. Then all these fundamental realizations to receive bodhicitta. To receive these realizations one has to create much merit and one has to make purification.

Anyway on the part on refuge I can explain more about merits and purification, and those things relating to the refuge practice, like this. How these preparations, the beginning practices and the prayers, how they are extremely important. How they are needed for realization. To make the meditation beneficial for the mind and to actualize. If it is possible, the quick way to actualize the meditation is that, one way to finish realizing the lam-rim, the basic meditation is bodhicitta and wisdom realizing shunyata, so all these two, the conclusion is this, the perfect human rebirth, and all these meditations are foundations to the mind renouncing samsara and are the foundations of bodhicitta.

So in the mind one spends more time trying to actualize and experience the perfect human rebirth according to the level of one’s own mind. If that is not received try to have the effortless experience of the meditation. Then after that spend more time there until you have effortless experience, then go quicker on those following meditations. Spend less time, quicker, down to bodhicitta, then the thought of bodhicitta becomes very strong by the power of the previous meditations.

For instance, if you don’t think of ... let’s say someone has a horrible stomach pain or disease that you yourself have experienced, then you know how it is unbearable and it is easy for compassion to arise, so without remembering your own feelings that you had before, just have compassion for him. It is difficult to have compassion for someone without having suffered that same problem, so you should have compassion for that person. So by the power of following the meditations, as you have done a little bit quicker and shorter, the bodhicitta is very strong. In this way the mind trains in first meditating on perfect human rebirth and bodhicitta.

Then in the evening time then you make meditation on shunyata. When you go to bed. When you can’t remember anything, at that time practice meditation on shunyata. Some people think to be completely unconscious during meditation, the mind completely blank, is shunyata meditation. So at night you can easily meditate on shunyata without any effort. However, I am just giving idea; the quickest way to have the realization on the gradual path to enlightenment is in the evening to make meditation on shunyata, then in that way your mind is trained together in all these basic mediations. So you can receive shunyata before bodhicitta or maybe you receive bodhicitta before you receive shunyata.

However each day your mind is closer when you practice meditation. Then afterwards bodhicitta, the wisdom realizing shunyata, however you receive understanding together. After actualizing bodhicitta you try to practice lam-rim and again you spend years trying to realize this. It is an individual question, we cannot say how long it takes to realize shunyata. Not like going to school, after three years you can do this, do that, you can go to class and do this. It is not like this. It is up to the individual how long it takes for the person. It depends on individual, depends on fundamental practice, how much the person does that. And also the guru practice. On the basis of, as it is in outline the root of the whole path, on the basis of that then fundamental purifying, collecting merits, things like that.

However to actualize lam-rim meditation and receive enlightenment one doesn’t have to be in a monastery as a monk or nun. If one puts it into action, if one practices it while one is living in the city, at home, while one is distracted by the meaningless actions of this life, if one practices the lam-rim meditation as I have explained, if one puts it into action while one is living in the city, while one is living at home, while one’s life is distracted, if one practices as I have explained, making a session in the morning and one at night time even though in the daytime one has to work, if one puts it into action like this, while one’s life is distracted, it is a special technique that one’s mind becomes closer to enlightenment. One makes one’s own life meaningful. Even if one is so busy, there are practices like this by which one creates infinite merit and creates extensive purification, by practice itself.

In previous times a King called Sangyal asked Nagarjuna, I have many things to do since I am the king, to guide the population, things like this, but while I am doing this can I do some Dharma practice, without leaving this work. Nagarjuna explained the practice to do and that by doing this you can create infinite merits. One is the practice of bodhicitta, morning time meditations on bodhicitta and again and again remembering bodhicitta motivation before doing each action. Other one is feeling rejoicefulness with one’s merits and all the sentient beings—the arhats, buddhas, bodhisattvas, all other living beings. This feeling of rejoicefulness is very good practice and it is incredibly easy to do, incredible merits you collect in a minute. You feel rejoicefulness in past present and future merits, you receive more merits, how good it is, how fortunate is the merit I am creating at the present time, trying to feel the rejoicefulness. Trying to feel happiness, by doing this you create more merits than by the actual virtuous action, you create more merits as the number of virtuous actions you have done, you receive more merits from each of those by feeling rejoicefulness. The other sentient being, if his level of mind is higher than yours then you get half of his merits and by feeling rejoicefulness if the person’s level of mind is less than yours then you get more merits than what he has created.

However, oneself it is said by the highly realized root guru, if we are going to spend the whole of our life trying to collect merits, even if we try for so long we cannot collect the merits that a bodhisattva collects in one minute. But if you try to feel rejoicefulness how good it is thinking of bodhisattvas’ past, present, and future merits. Half of their merits you receive just by feeling rejoicefulness, including buddhas, bodhisattvas—all the virtues, how good it is, may I be able to create all of these merits for the sake of the sentient beings. This prayer and feeling rejoicefulness, together. Just by thinking, this is a bodhisattva’s action, other people are happy, other people have done good things, practicing and understanding Dharma, it is not following the practice of the lesser vehicle path.

I just give a few details. If you can practice this as I explained, then it is worthwhile, it doesn’t become like an echo, the sound of rock. Then about 6 p.m. I think I will come to start puja. And those who are going to do puja, the prayers, you can pray. Anyone who takes Vajrayana has to make offerings two times in each month, so that is why it is done. Anyway, the purpose is in order to enlighten sentient beings and to receive enlightenment. So to receive realizations one has to purify the hindrances and obscurations and create merit. This is a quick method to do this. So what we can do during this time, those who can’t do the prayer, motivate bodhicitta ten times, several times you can do that, and afterward visualizing Guru Shakyamuni Buddha you can recite mantra and make purification and have white and golden light coming for purification.

[Dedication]

Lecture 17

As the highly realized bodhisattva said in his teachings, “Entering the path to enlightenment is just like, by lightning showing the clear view in one second in the night time, in the foggy, dark night time. By the kindness of the Buddha very few living beings in the world having the fortunate thought arising, among the numberless other living beings. Check up, such small virtues being created. The unceasing, unfinishing powerful negativities cannot be controlled by any other virtue except by the wish to receive enlightenment.”

So what Shantideva is explaining is how rare in the world are the living beings who create virtue, who have a virtuous thought. How rare it is. How much virtue is created by those few living beings, and is not continuously created, and how small the virtue is. Only sometimes and that is in such a short time. Then at night time, not having the moon and can’t even see the stars, being completely foggy. So by lightning you see the objects around you, you see the clear view in such a short time.

He is saying check up how the virtue is created very rarely and what is created and in such a small time. The negativities have been continuously created, and among the negativities, the five extreme negative actions, the five limitless negative actions, unceasing with these heavy negative karmas. Besides any other negativities such as this negativity whose suffering result is unfinishing and extremely powerful. Extremely unbearable suffering result. Karmas such as these cannot be controlled or purified by other virtue. What can destroy completely is only bodhicitta—the wish receive enlightenment. Even if one is concerned…

…even if one recognizes I have been collecting much negative karma, very heavy negative karma, the best method is to purify and completely destroy, never experience the whole thing. The best method is training the mind in bodhicitta. Since it has incredible benefits like this, pacify all the sufferings that we do not wish for, therefore it is necessary to train the mind in bodhicitta right this minute as we have the opportunity to practice.

Not only that, but in order for the present action to become Dharma and a cause of receiving enlightenment it is necessary to cultivate bodhicitta. It is not enough just having virtuous motivation but necessary to have the motivation of bodhicitta.

Well then think, “I am going to listen to the teaching on gradual path to enlightenment in order to receive enlightenment for the benefit of all the kind mother sentient beings.” The listening subject is the Mahayana teaching which leads the fortunate one to enlightenment. It is well expounded by the Mahayana philosophers Nagarjuna and Asanga. It is a profound teaching received by the great bodhisattva Atisha and the Dharma king of the three worlds, the great Lama Tsongkhapa through which these teachings were shown. These teachings contain all the essence of 84,000 teachings shown by Guru Shakyamuni Buddha and all these teachings of these three vehicles, Theravadan, Paramitayana, Vajrayana; all these teachings are set up for the gradual purpose of one’s person receiving enlightenment.

This is the sole path through which all past, present and future Buddhas have received enlightenment. In order to receive enlightenment for the sake of all the sentient beings one has to actualize these three principal paths, bodhicitta and the wisdom realizing shunyata, which is shown in the teaching on the gradual path to enlightenment of the higher being ... that depends on bodhicitta. To receive bodhicitta depends on having the realization of the mind renouncing samsara which is from the gradual path of the middle being, that ... to receive mind renouncing the whole of samsara, the whole suffering realm.

First there are two things, like this. That depends on having the understanding of refuge and karma. Karma is from the path of the lower being. And not only that, to receive the mind renouncing samsara, that depends on the foundation of the mind renouncing the happiness of this life. I’m sorry what I am saying—this explanation will come afterwards, details. It does not mean that you cannot experience happiness, to renounce happiness of this life does not mean that; that is a completely wrong idea, wrong conception. It means renouncing the attachment to the happiness of this life. What disturbs the mind is the attachment. So therefore, the very foundation is the mind renouncing the happiness of this life. To receive this is the door of the Dharma practice, to be able to actualize this realization of that depends on this perfect human rebirth, the usefulness of the perfect human rebirth, especially the impermanence of life and death. Also after that then according to the person who tries to experience meditation, comes the meditation on the suffering of the lower realms. In the gradual practice, in regards experience and explaining it can be different. As it is explained in the teaching is as regards experience. So therefore, we need to understand and practice these meditations.

So I was talking yesterday about practical things in order to make our life meaningful and not to waste this precious human rebirth we received one time. Then even if one is extremely busy, one doesn’t have time to practice Dharma the whole day. Even if one doesn’t have the whole day to keep the mind in the meditation practice, one is always continuously in meditation. Even if one is extremely busy, with much to do, as Nagarjuna explained to the king, like this we can copy these instructions. The first thing is bodhicitta and second thing is rejoicefulness which includes arhats and bodhisattvas, all their merits. I explained how to feel rejoicefulness—one of the practices from the seven limb prayer that we say in the afternoon. So if I explain here we understand. Then even if someone makes an offering of incense, even though you’re not actually offering even one stick of incense, you don’t have any money to buy the offerings, the candles and the incense, oneself is penniless, then you see other people making offering, creating much good karma, doing so my things. Then instead of feeling upset, I want to do that but I don’t have any money, or being jealous, on the other hand, think, he does create so much good karma. Rejoicefulness is a practice that you do not need any expenses for, you don’t even need one paise. You can gain incredible infinite merits if the person is making universe full of jewels to each of the Buddhas. Instead of feeling jealous you feel rejoicefulness that he has created good karma. One tries to feel like the mother when the son does good actions. The son normally does crazy things you see, opposite to what mother wants, wishes to be happy and always do good things which makes his life happy, but the son always does crazy things that make his life confused. Then very rarely sometimes the son does something which makes his life extremely happy. It is not that the mother receives material things like that. It is the benefit that is received by the son so the mother feels happy. So the bodhisattvas, sentient beings receiving enlightenment, before they receive enlightenment, other sentient beings entering the path, we create virtuous action by reciting one mantra, offering one stick of incense, by making one cup of tea. Even if there is no bodhicitta, just making offering by visualizing Buddha, creating a small virtuous action.

The bodhisattvas when they see the other sentient beings reaching enlightenment, entering the path, creating the small virtuous action, feel great happiness, rejoicefulness arises in the bodhisattva’s mind. How the mother feels for her son, how they think of others, how much compassion they have for others. Besides not feeling jealous, even an atom of happiness and the bodhisattvas and buddhas feel happiness. Why do they feel happy at others’ happiness? It is like the mother who is always considerate of the son, how to make his life happy, always concerned about it, always trying to manage it. To not have problems and always have a happy life. Like that the buddhas and bodhisattvas feel much stronger, the mother’s feeling for son is nothing compared to the bodhisattva’s feeling for sentient beings. So this is the bodhisattvas’ practice. It is not the arhats’ practice.

So what I’m saying is that, even if a person makes offering to each buddha in the universe, a universe full of jewels to each buddha, even if a person does not have one jewel to offer, one paise to offer, if you try to feel rejoicefulness of his merits, if his realization is higher than one’s own then you get at least half of the merits he creates, by making that much offering to one buddha in that minute, without yourself having expenses for offering. When you see someone similarly, meditating, studying Dharma, making prostration, making charity, offering of candles and incense, making offering to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, when we see like this if you feel rejoicefulness, depending on the level of his mind, we receive merit. Sometimes more merits than he creates depending on his level of mind. So therefore, even if one is at the beach sleeping. Making a red body in the sun, even if your body is not sitting with crossed legs and the eyes closed, even if you are lying down then the mind can create incredible merits in feeling rejoicefulness. Including buddhas and bodhisattvas. It is just mind action, a way of thinking.

All the time mind is thinking, we let the mind think. On the other hand we let our mind feel happy about the virtue of other sentient beings. You see how this is comfortable, this chair, I am free from work. Ah! how pleasant it is to come to the beach, how good it is to have rejoicefulness of happiness, does not become virtue but it is still mind action, it is not virtue, that only causes to arise attachment. It only becomes a cause of samsara, it does not become cause of happiness that mind action. So this feeling of happiness, in such a way, by feeling rejoicefulness this happiness only becomes a cause of the bodhisattvas’ practice, great purification, and one gains incredible merits. It becomes a cause of happiness of many other future lives and of this life. Even talking while one is in samsara…

[BREAK]

One king whose name I don’t remember ... somehow there was something wrong with the king’s motivation. The king has made offerings; he has invited Guru Shakyamuni Buddha for lunch. Somehow the king is not creating many merits because there is something wrong with the motivation, I don’t remember. There is a beggar outside the house. In Guru Shakyamuni Buddha’s time he invited Guru Shakyamuni Buddha and his followers, some monks. The arhats, after having a meal, they dedicate the merits of the benefactor by saying prayers. So Guru Shakyamuni Buddha after the meal did not dedicate the merits for the king, but to the beggar. The reason he dedicated the merits to the beggar, although the king actually made the offering, but the beggar who was outside, looking through the door seeing what they were doing, the beggar was feeling rejoicefulness, so the beggar has created many more merits. Guru Shakyamuni Buddha clearly sees with his psychic powers. Then afterwards the king asks why don’t you dedicate the merits, because when you dedicate you have to mention the name of the particular person. Why don’t you dedicate my merits? So Guru Shakyamuni Buddha explained.

Things like this happened, so however... sometimes, usually I am very lazy, just like Shantideva said, to see the clear view, like lightning sometimes, when the mind is not lazy. Also the young monks who came into my room to make offering of incense, those things ... in fact, if you are going to make prostrations, make offering, clean your room, do many of these different forms of good karma, you know, like other people do. If you are going to do everything at the same time, making mandala offering, saying prayer, going to do all this. If you are, you can’t do all these things at the same time, you can’t manifest in another body. How can you, to do these actions. The easiest thing is with rejoicefulness, while you are sitting in your own bed, what I sometimes do, what my mind thinks, just laying on the bed, no need to wake up, I’m joking. Early morning people are doing so many good things, if you are tired to feel rejoicefulness, try to feel happiness about what they are doing. You see then, you don’t lose your profit, you receive the same merits even though other people don’t see you doing something. But I’m not saying we should be lazy, should not get up. I am saying how the rejoicefulness is so easy and incredible merit one can receive in such a short time, not only here on this mountain but everywhere, all the sentient beings who create good karma. I think that much of rejoicefulness. Then also the result of the rejoicefulness, the temporal goal and ultimate happiness. Then the third thing is dedication.

Dedication is extremely important, if you do not dedicate merits after having created the merits then, even if one has created merits, from the birth time until now one has been creating merits. Food and clothing, like this ... giving to each of the sentient beings, every day until now, even if one has collected that much good karma, since it has never been dedicated, the person gets angry and heresy arises, saying the path that is shown by buddha is not the true path. Also heresy in karma, there is no such thing in karma. It is not true that the virtuous action brings a good result; many others. There is no past or future life, so what is explained by Buddha is not true, by arising these heresies and anger, all these incredible merits that one has been making since birth time, all of these completely get destroyed. Just like the burned rice has no capability to bring the stems. It doesn’t have potentiality, so just like this the heresy and anger disturbs the undedicated merits.

So therefore, even after the merits are dedicated it disturbs but not completely, it doesn’t make you not receive the result of the karma, even after the heresy and anger arises. The anger and heresy makes you postpone receiving the result of the good karma. Like if you are ready to receive bodhicitta tomorrow morning at the beginning of the session, then today there is some danger, some distraction for the realization. The mind is ready to receive the realization, but today if you get anger and heresy for a new bodhisattva, who has received bodhicitta, whose realization is higher than one’s own then, your anger postpones your receiving bodhicitta for another 1,000 eons, and there are also hundreds and thousands of eons depending on how much higher the level of mind of the other person is ... if less then it is a shorter time. Like this.

Then there are also high bodhisattvas, manifestations of buddhas, we don’t know who is buddha. So it is explained in the teachings that anger is extremely dangerous to receive enlightenment for the temporal and ultimate happiness. How it is a great hindrance, how this is the worst thing. The greatest distraction to one’s own happiness, the shortcomings of anger. So that is why one has to be very careful. We cannot read other people’s minds and see the level of mind so, there are manifestations of buddhas, bodhisattvas, and beggars. Sometimes I think, in the cities where there are beggars, that there are no persons, but manifestations of buddhas. Also sometimes by taking the manifestation of a worldly person buddhas persuade other people by helping materially to create good karma, to practice Dharma. There are many different ways. Buddhas do not always give teachings. So other people sometimes guide from the suffering, as one of the methods fits him, he takes the manifestation of beggar and the person makes charity. And so by that person making one paise, two paise of charity, by that small virtue he creates good karma, the cause of happiness in future lives, leading to enlightenment.

He gradually leads the different sentient beings in the different levels of happiness. I don’t believe they are just like the ordinary person as we see outside. I am forgetting what I am talking about. Going all over, just like water running all over the ground (student—just about anger). Thank you very much.

Anger, yes, that’s right. So that is why dedication ... it is the last practice from the seven limb practice. This, I explained with a little bit of detail. That is how dedication is extremely important. I just explained the good karmas that have happened in this life, but you see Shantideva has explained in the teachings, the shortcomings of anger, how to practice patience. The merits that have been collected making charity to sentient being offering to the Buddhas in 10,000 eons, all these merits can be destroyed by anger in one second. So this is extremely important to understand, since we are concerned with happiness. So whom you get angry you can remember this question. Then the usual dedication, like this “Gewa-di ...”

Remembering the meaning of prayer in that way becomes dedication. Then ... the perfect dedication is like this. There are three things—subject, action, dedication, object—why we dedicate, is for enlightenment. For whom we dedicate, again this is bodhisattvas’ practice, dedication for the benefit of other sentient beings. However without talking much, even though there is not much understanding of shunyata, this is what we can do—the perfect way by meditating on object, and action and enlightenment, the merits and everything ... by looking at the nature of these things—it is empty or absolutely existing. While one is feeling this, meditating on this, then dedicate the merits. When you say “my merits and other sentient beings’ merits,” dedicate altogether other sentient beings.’

Also you can remember one’s own relatives, parents, it includes all these sentient beings one who one has a present relationship with. “So by these merits,” you can think like that, “May I quickly obtain the Guru-Buddha and lead every single sentient being into their enlightenment stage, without excluding even one.”

Like eating rice, not even one tiny piece of rice on the plate, not leaving even one single sentient being, and lead every sentient being into his enlightenment stage. While one is meditating or seeing the nature of this, is empty of absolute existence. If one doesn’t have any idea of this think like you are dedicating the dream. What I am talking about is this, as the whole thing is like a dream, at least what one can make, then by doing this it becomes that much perfect dedication. By dedicating like this the merits never finish until enlightenment is received. Even if one has received enlightenment still one is receiving merits, again working for other sentient beings is the result of these merits. Dedication is important after any action. Eating food, offering one candle, one stick of incense, feeling rejoicefulness, making one flower object to the Buddha. Motivation, actual action and dedication—three things like this. Dedication is necessary to be done right after because there is danger if you delay.

[Q&A sessions with Sera Je Abbot]