The Path to Enlightenment

My most dear, most precious, most kind, wish-fulfilling one,
Thank you very much for your kind letter. I am very happy that you are involved in the practice of Dharma. As Lama Tsongkhapa mentioned, this is only one time you have received a perfect human body.

First of all, a human body is extremely rare and even more rare is the qualified human body with eight freedoms and ten richnesses. This is extremely rare. So it’s a most incredible opportunity to practice Dharma, to realize emptiness and especially to actualize bodhicitta, which makes the life most beneficial for every sentient being, not only for you, but for every single hell being, every single hungry ghost, every single animal, every single being that can be seen, that you see in the ocean, the smallest—I’ve heard, but I don’t know the name—that you see with machines, and the large whales like mountains, and the many kinds of beings that look like flowers, like rocks, like plants. Then in the ground, in the bushes, there are tiny insects, the flies in the sky, the insects in people’s bodies and animals’ bodies, and in the trees outside. There are all kinds, all kinds. Even [parasites] are sentient beings, by going into the body through the mouth and causing disease. Also, every single human being, sura, and asura being, intermediate state being. There are also numberless universes, I’m not only talking about this world.

As you might know, by following the Lesser Vehicle path, that doesn’t teach bodhicitta, so there’s no enlightenment, only liberation from samsara, lower nirvana, only the four noble truths. On the basis of renunciation of samsara, we see how it’s filled with the nature of suffering and we see how other sentient beings are suffering in samsara, then we generate great compassion. Then from great compassion, bodhicitta arises, the thought to achieve enlightenment for sentient beings, for them to be free from the oceans of samsaric suffering and to bring them to enlightenment.

On the Mahayana Sutra path we have to collect the merit of wisdom and the merit of virtue for three countless great eons. We have to do both together, but not by one mind. [By following this path] it takes three countless great eons to complete the two merits and achieve enlightenment.

In tantra, in the two lower tantras, Kriya and Charya tantra, there’s a special path or technique for one mind to practice wisdom and virtue, so in one life we can achieve enlightenment. We can complete the merits of wisdom and virtue in one life, because Vajrayana means one mind practicing method and wisdom together, so that’s what makes us achieve full enlightenment in one life.

For example, after we purify in emptiness, then we generate into the deity. That wisdom generates into the deity, so that mind is focusing on the deity, on that aspect, the deity’s holy body, that is method, and at the same time being aware of the nature of the deity’s holy body. Even though it appears to exist from its own side—it appears that way for sentient beings—we don’t believe in that, we don’t apprehend that.

For example, while we’re dreaming, recognizing it’s a dream. Or we cross the sand and when we look back, it looks like there’s water running, but there’s no water, it’s due to the sunlight on the sand. When we look back it looks like there’s water, but it just comes from that [mirage]. So there’s no clinging, thinking, “There’s water running.” So like that. That’s the wisdom. That is according to the sentient being, not an enlightened being.

We realize the nature of the deity’s holy body is empty, that it does not exist from its own side, but at the same time, it is like that. It exists, but it’s like it doesn’t exist. It’s unbelievably subtle, it’s like it doesn’t exist. That’s not the way it’s explained. One mind is practicing method and wisdom together, so that ceases the obscurations and brings our mental continuum to enlightenment, to buddhahood.

Vajra is the one mind practicing method and wisdom together. Vajra, inseparability, and yana is the vehicle that is bringing us to enlightenment. So we can achieve enlightenment in one life even with lower tantra.

So now highest tantra is the same, but the mind realizing emptiness, the subtle mind experiences great bliss nondual in emptiness. Focusing on the deity’s holy body, method, then the nature of that is empty. It doesn’t exist from its own side, it’s totally empty, and we see that. The nature exists but it’s like it doesn’t exist, it’s unbelievably subtle.

There’s no nature from there. “From there” means truly existent, the real one, but it’s merely imputed by our mind. While we’re seeing this, it’s empty. It appears to exist from its own side, but the apprehension that it’s true is completely false and we see that nature. So that’s one mind practicing method and wisdom together, unified. So then through that path we achieve the result, the unified holy body and mind. By practicing the Maha-anuttara Yoga path, then we achieve buddhahood, the unified state of Vajradhara in one brief life of degenerate times.

According to my observation, your main deity is Yamantaka. Also, according to my observation, for you to come to realize emptiness, it seems you have a good opportunity for that. So, work hard on that and meditate on emptiness every day.

Regarding shamatha, it doesn’t seem you will have much success. With shamatha, there’s the actual realization, fully characterized, then there’s another similar one, but that may be difficult. It’s good to try that, leave it like that, then you know how to meditate.

I suggest that you study the lamrim text, Liberation In The Palm Of Your Hand, from beginning to end. Just do it one time. If your goal in this life is bodhicitta, then you need to have renunciation before that. Renunciation means future life’s renunciation and this life’s renunciation. So this life’s renunciation is the first Dharma, Buddhadharma, unstained by worldly concern.

Your practice, your realization, has to start with correctly devoting to the virtuous friend, seeing the guru as the deity, seeing the guru as a buddha using logic and quotations, then looking at the guru as a buddha. That realization becomes the root of the path to enlightenment, then you need to have the realization of renunciation, the graduated path of the lower capable being in general, then the graduated path of the middle capable being in general and then the graduated path of the higher capable being.

In terms of effortful lamrim practice, go through the lamrim outline five times.

Also do 80,000 prostrations by reciting the names of the Thirty-five Buddhas. You can do this sometimes in the form of a retreat, with three or four sessions, then at other times if you are working you can do one or two sessions. So you can finish the prostrations like that, sometimes in retreat and sometimes more loosely.

For effortless practice, even if shamatha realization doesn’t happen, it’s good to know how to do the meditation. You need some idea of that, knowing how to meditate, how to overcome at least the gross sinking thought and the subtle sinking thought, like that.

The other important thing is to do everything—eating, walking, sitting, sleeping, doing your job, studying, everything—with bodhicitta, the thought of benefiting sentient beings. That’s so important. If you have bodhicitta realization, of course everything is for sentient beings, even breathing, each breath.

Even if you don’t have bodhicitta realization, you can attempt to practice it as much as possible. That’s so important. Then everything—eating, walking, sitting, sleeping, doing your job, everything—becomes a cause of enlightenment. That means everything becomes a cause of happiness for sentient beings, then enlightenment and their enlightenment, that’s the most important. Collect much merit and pray to generate bodhicitta in all the lifetimes, like that.

Again, according to my observation, retirement is best for you. Then you can spend more time on Dharma, on lamrim practice. You are most welcome to enlightenment, and goodbye to samsara. [Welcome to] lamrim practice and goodbye samsara.

If you have important questions, you can ask me and I’ll try to answer as best I can.

With much love and prayers ...

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,
Thank you very much for your kind letter. I made prayers for your mother also. I checked and yes, for you, retreat is best, and best is lamrim retreat. Even just studying and understanding intellectually, just that is extremely worthwhile. That takes many years, just that.

Having firm concentration so that even if big drums beat in front of our ears we don’t get distracted or achieving the five clairvoyances so we can fly—we have had those attainments numberless times in the past. We have had these powers numberless times in the past, but still we are not free from samsara.

It is renunciation that makes us achieve bodhicitta and we need bodhicitta to achieve enlightenment so as to enlighten all sentient beings, therefore now we also need to realize emptiness in order to be free from samsara forever and to be free from the root of samsara, ignorance. Of course, we achieve this with the support of bodhicitta, then we are able to cease the subtle defilements with the wisdom realizing the direct perception of emptiness. Then on top of that there is the tantric path, so this is what is important.

All those other powers are nothing; we have had them numberless times. People in the world are most surprised if someone is able to fly, but even the birds can fly, even the insects can fly, even bees can fly, so if someone has the five types of clairvoyance, such as firm contemplation etc., people are more surprised, but that person doesn’t know lamrim. Lamrim is the main thing and it is most important because if we had these lamrim realizations, by now we would not be in samsara, we would be enlightened already.

Whatever hardships we have to bear, it is extremely worthwhile, so worthwhile. We have died from beginningless rebirths in samsara and we have just created the cause of the lower realms—negative karma and the lower realms—but we have never died for Dharma, that is very rare.

Regarding retreat and part-time work, that is up to you.

One practice for you to do every day is the daily motivation, The Method to Transform a Suffering Life into Happiness (Including Enlightenment). That also has the blessing of the speech and daily mantras.

It is so important to meditate on the lamrim every day. This is very important. You could also recite one lamrim prayer every day. Read it slowly, going over the meaning. Lamrim is what you need to actualize, no matter how long it takes, so please put your effort there.

You should do your lamrim meditations during your guru yoga practice. Stop before the guru absorbs into you and meditate on whatever section of the lamrim you are up to.

One meditation that you must try to do every day is on guru devotion. Sometimes if you miss it, that’s OK, but then just continue. There is no question of how much time you take; it is up to you, what fits.

Then continue with whatever lamrim topic you are on, doing the meditation every day, going through the subjects slowly. Whatever meditation you did in the morning, then continue with that mind during the day, so that your mind is in lamrim all day.

Please try to meditate on the lamrim based on guru yoga and on this basis you will get all the realizations and the most success in your life. It is important to try to achieve all the realizations in order to actualize enlightenment—this is in order to liberate numberless sentient beings and enlighten them. That’s the real project, the real goal of our life.

What makes our life most meaningful is meditation on the lamrim, then to live our life with bodhicitta motivation. This is the best.

So here you are most welcome to enlightenment, to liberate the numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and bring them to buddhahood, by actualizing the path yourself.

With much love and prayers ...

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,
Yes, of course you should continue with nyung nä practice as much as possible.

Regarding lamrim, the structure doesn’t matter. Do it whenever you can, but you have to do it.

There’s no enlightenment without lamrim. There’s nothing more important in the life than practicing lamrim; there’s no way to go to enlightenment without lamrim. There’s nothing more important in the life then practicing lamrim. There’s no way to go to enlightenment without lamrim.

There’s no way to jump into enlightenment without lamrim, so it’s the best life. Of course, with bodhicitta, but bodhicitta is based on renunciation, and then there’s emptiness, the two truths, like the two legs, there is absolute bodhicitta and conventional bodhicitta. It’s really amazing meditation to cut all the basic [ignorance] from where all the suffering arises—the self-cherishing thought, the ignorance holding the I and phenomena as truly existent.

That much tonglen that you have done, how much you have done, that is great, incredible, great, great.

Lamrim is the best, so try to have realization of lamrim. It is the best, best practice, the best. When you become closer to lamrim realizations, then you become closer, closer to enlightenment. Thank you very much.

Then you can do retreats, sometimes Tara Cittamani, or sometimes Yamantaka or Chakrasamvara, or a deity that you have received initiation for. If you like, you can do that. By practicing tantra, it becomes easier to achieve enlightenment. It leaves positive imprints, so it’s a quick way to enlightenment. So thank you very much.

With much love and prayers ...

Gungtang Jampai Yang, a very high lama from Amdo in Tibet, said:

The essence of Losang Gyalten (Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings) integrates listening, reflecting and meditation into one. If you attempt the collecting of merits and purification, the background support, then buddhahood is at your fingertips.

This is how to practice to achieve enlightenment and how to achieve enlightenment quickly.

My very dear, most precious, most kind, wish-fulfilling one,
Thank you very, very much for your email and your message, New Year greetings.

So that thing which is not happening—trying, but it is not happening—that is not necessarily the universe telling you it’s not good to do that. It is not necessarily that; it can be negative or positive.

For example, we can become free from samsara and after that achieve enlightenment—peerless happiness, the total cessation of all the obscurations and completion of all the realizations—and then free the numberless sentient beings totally and bring them to peerless happiness, buddhahood. Of course, our mind at the moment is full of mistakes, totally obscured, like darkness, no light, no sun, and on top of that filled with fog, so it is obscured by defilements, therefore we are not yet able to do that.

The reason that we can be free from samsara—from the oceans of samsaric sufferings, the six realms of sufferings—and achieve enlightenment and bring sentient beings to enlightenment, is because the nature of our mind is not oneness with the defilements; it is not one with anger, attachment and ignorance.

If our mind was oneness with anger, attachment and ignorance then it would not possible. But we can be free from suffering in samsara. The nature of the mind is pure. You see in many other sects, like Kagyu and Nyingma, the meditators believe this—that the mind itself is already enlightened; that our mind is already enlightened and is just obscured now. But there are different ways of thinking and meditating.

According to Lama Tsongkhapa’s way of explaining the nature of the mind, the ultimate nature  is totally pure and there is no difference between sentient beings and the Buddha. There is no difference in the ultimate nature of oneself and the Buddha, but only in the conventional nature, the all-obscuring nature, the different sentient beings’ obscurations.

The Buddha is totally free from obscurations, is not obscured and has fully developed realizations, therefore every sentient being can also achieve enlightenment—every single hell being, hungry ghost, every single animal, every single ant, mosquito, slug. Everybody can achieve enlightenment and will be enlightened in the future, because the ultimate nature is pure. In the ultimate nature there is no difference between sentient beings and the Buddha, between oneself and the Buddha.

Suffering is because of being obscured temporally, therefore we have suffering, but it’s not forever; because enlightenment is possible, we can be free from samsara.

According to the present state of mind, as I have described, it is dark, foggy, so like that it is obscured. It looks impossible to achieve all those things that I said, but we can’t give up, because numberless sentient beings have become free from samsara and have achieved enlightenment. Sentient beings are the same as the Buddha. Buddha Shakyamuni was the same as us before becoming enlightened—he had problems, but he changed his mind with bodhicitta, he cherished other sentient beings and let go of the I.

We cherish the I and give up other sentient beings, so it is totally opposite to the Buddha and that’s why we haven’t become free from all the sufferings in samsara. We still have birth and death and continue to circle in samsara and have all the sufferings in between.

What I am saying is that we have to try this to be free from samsara, to achieve enlightenment, it is the most important thing. If we want happiness and don’t want suffering, this is what we have to do, with much effort, like Shakyamuni Buddha, who was the same as us but changed his mind and became enlightened. We can also do the same thing; we can change our mind and become enlightened.

This is why it is extremely worthwhile to learn Dharma and to practice Dharma. This is the most important thing, even more important than our job, money, food, etc. Actually, our job, money and food all come from Dharma, from our past life, from having practiced charity to other sentient beings in past times. With the thought of giving—through charity, not being miserly, through giving—from that came the result, which is this life’s job, money and conditions for means of living. So it all came from that cause.

Also our precious human body so that now we can practice Dharma and not be reborn in the lower realms and be able to achieve a higher rebirth, that came from the practice of morality, protecting karma, like abandoning killing, stealing, and, for example, the five precepts or four, three, two or one precepts.

So according to our own capacity, by practicing morality we get a higher rebirth. By practicing the three higher trainings, the five paths to liberation, we can become free from samsara and achieve ultimate happiness forever. By actualizing compassion for all sentient beings and bodhicitta, we enter the Mahayana path and we can achieve enlightenment for sentient beings. By practicing bodhicitta, the six paramitas, then we are able to achieve enlightenment for sentient beings.

It is possible to have rebirth as a happy transmigratory being, such as a deva or human. This is all received due to having practiced pure morality in the past. All the good things come from holy Dharma, therefore that is the most important thing.

People who have many difficulties and sufferings, this is from not having practiced Dharma. So they haven’t created the causes through charity and morality in the past.

Therefore, if we want to have success, happiness, etc., we need to practice morality and charity and so forth. We need to create the cause. It is all dependent arising. Nothing is independent, it is not created by God—not having freedom, no, not at all—it is not created by God.  

In Buddhism, whether we want to be in the hell realms or free from that, it is totally in our hands. Whether we want to achieve enlightenment or not, it’s in our hands. Whether we want to be free from samsara or not, it’s in our hands. It’s up to us what we do with our mind, how we take care of our mind. In Buddhism we have total freedom in our hands. So, rejoice!

Of course, depending on what we want, even though we don’t have omniscience, if we have ordinary clairvoyance and can see something of the future or past, it is helpful. Then we know what to do, what method to use to achieve what we want, so like that.

Thank you very much.

With much love and prayers ...

The definition of a holiday is:

• The mind abiding in correctly following the virtuous friend
• The mind abiding in renunciation of samsara
• The mind abiding in bodhicitta
• The mind abiding in emptiness
• The mind abiding in the tantric path—the two stages.

The completion of your holiday is when you cease all the obscurations and complete all the realizations.