Based on her question about whether or not the base is also merely labeled by mind, from the I all the way down to the atoms and even the particles of the atoms, in reality, nothing exists from its own side. Everything, even those subtle atoms, is totally empty.
It is similar with the consciousness. There has been continuation of the consciousness during beginningless rebirths, and there will be continuation of the consciousness up to enlightenment, and even after enlightenment. From life to life, there’s always continuation of the consciousness. In this life, there has been continuity of your consciousness of this life from birth up to now, and it will continue for however many years you live. One year has twelve months, one month has four weeks, one week has seven days, one day has twenty-four hours, one hour has sixty minutes, one minute has sixty seconds, and one second has split-seconds. You can also analyze the consciousness in the same way, finer and finer, to reach the split-seconds of consciousness. Again, nothing exists from its own side, because, as I have already mentioned, when you analyze what is called “a split-second of consciousness,” you find that it’s just a name, and the name is given by the mind, imputed by the mind. It is not just that it’s imputed but it’s merely imputed by the mind. When you say “merely,” it means that it doesn’t exist from its own side at all. By meditating in this way, you see that it is empty.
From the I, the self, down to the very split-seconds of consciousness, it’s all empty; but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. So, you meditate on that for as long as you can.
You can also analyze feeling. If you wanted to meditate on them one by one, you would analyze form, then feeling, then discrimination…. Feeling can be divided into three: happy, or pleasant, feeling; unhappy, or suffering, feeling; and indifferent feeling. I guess that happy is describing the characteristic of the mind that is more satisfied. The suffering feeling is more unpleasant, while the happy feeling is more pleasant, more calm, more satisfied. The indifferent feeling is the feeling that is neither of those two.
“Happy feeling” is merely imputed to that mental factor that has the characteristic of being more satisfied; and “unhappy feeling” is merely imputed to the mental factor that is opposite to that. Happy feeling and unhappy feeling are merely imputed because the mental factors with those characteristics exist. You can see here that happy feeling and suffering feeling are also merely imputed; they exist in mere name, merely imputed by mind. It is also the same with the base. The base is merely imputed by mind; it has no existence from its own side at all. It is totally empty.
You have to know how to look at something as empty. If you analyze something and go down, down, down, then find something that is truly existent, it would mean that everything would then become truly existent. It’s very important that when you come to the very subtle level that you know how to see that as empty.
Next are the compounding aggregates. There are fifty-one mental factors, and if you take out feeling and discrimination, the mental factor that discriminate this and that…. For example, when you see this phenomenon with this particular shape and design, your mind discriminates that it is a flower. (Of course, all flowers are not the same; there are many different ones.) Anyway, it is by first seeing this particular shape and design that you decide upon the label “flower.” This is also a very, very important point in meditation on emptiness. Since I’ve mentioned it here, I’ll just give some explanation.
You must have clear in your mind how the base and label exist. This is another very important point in meditation on emptiness. When you see a flower, there seems to be a real flower appearing from there, on the base, and you believe that real flower, which is not there, to be true. So, this analysis, another meditation on emptiness, is very important, because it helps you to differentiate the base from the label, “flower.” It helps you to differentiate the base to be labeled “flower” from the label, “flower.” I don’t know whether you can say that according to the appearance, the base and label look as if they are one. Perhaps you could say that. Many years ago in Drepung Monastery His Holiness Ling Rinpoche gave teachings on a commentary to Seven-Point Thought Transformation. There are many different commentaries to Seven-Point Thought Transformation; I don’t remember the name of the text Rinpoche used, but it’s one commonly taught in the Lama Tsongkhapa tradition. Of course, some lamas present the Seven-Point Thought Transformation by Kadampa Geshe Chekawa so that emptiness comes first, but since the text Rinpoche used was according to the lamrim presentation, emptiness came later.
When explaining the definition of the object to be refuted, or gak cha in Tibetan, His Holiness Ling Rinpoche said that in our view the base and the label are undifferentiable, and that is the gak cha, the object to be refuted. Rinpoche didn’t say that we see the base and label as one; he said that we see them as undifferentiable, which is almost like saying they are one. I’ve been talking about a flower, but I think Rinpoche explained it in relation to a table. So, in our view the base and the label, “flower,” are undifferentiable; we can’t differentiate between them. When you look at a flower, how does the flower appear to you? How do you see the flower? According to Rinpoche, we can’t differentiate the base of the flower from the label, “flower.” I think it means we see them as one, even though Rinpoche didn’t say that.
So, that is false. That’s the gak cha, the object to be refuted, and that’s what we have to realize is totally nonexistent, empty.
As Rinpoche explained, whatever we look at, we see the base and the label as undifferentiable. When we look at a light, we see the base and the label “light” as undifferentiable. It is like this with everything. Wherever we look, with everything we see, we don’t see the difference between the base and the label.
It’s easier to understand the hallucination in relation to the I and the aggregates. It’s easier to recognize the false I, which is the object to be refuted. So, for that reason, you don’t realize the aggregates are empty before realizing the I is empty. First you realize the I is empty, then after that you can realize the aggregates are empty. So, it can help to lead to that.
Anyway, I was going to mention just this one technique. It’s a very important technique that helps you to differentiate the label from the base. That is extremely important because it helps you to recognize the object to be refuted. Once you have recognized the object to be refuted, it’s then just a minute to realizing the emptiness of that object.
After you enter the room, without seeing this base, the object with this shape and color, you have no reason to label “flower.” There’s no reason at all for your mind to choose this label “flower.” First you should get that idea clearly.
I’m talking here about when the flower comes into existence. After you enter the room, without seeing this base, you have no reason to choose the particular label “flower.” First your mind sees this figure with this design and color; it is only after you have seen this particular phenomenon with these characteristics that your mind makes up the label “flower.” The next moment your mind chooses this particular label “flower.” There are so many labels, but you choose this particular label “flower.”
In regard to which comes into existence first, the base or the label “flower,” you can see here that first seeing that particular base causes your mind to choose this particular label “flower.” The label “flower” comes into existence next. So, you see the base first, then in the next moment you see the flower. That’s how you see things.
Why is it like this? Because to be able to see a flower, you first have to label it. For you to be able to see that this is a flower, the flower first has to appear to you. In order for the flower to be able to appear to you, you have to label, “This is a flower.”
It’s now clear that you see the base first, and seeing the base causes your mind to choose this label “flower.” There are numberless labels, but this is how you choose this particular label “flower.” First you see the base, then you see the flower.
You don’t see the base and the flower together—that’s impossible. Intellectually, you may think it’s like that, but it’s not like that in reality. There’s no way you see them together. If you did see the base and the flower together, after you entered this room, what would cause you to say, “I’ve seen a flower. There’s a flower there.”? What would cause your mind to choose that particular label, “flower”? The eye sense, the mind, has first to see a particular phenomenon, then the label comes.
Take the example of your mother, father, brother or sister arriving with a group of other people. When they arrive with the other people, how do you see your mother, father, brother or sister? Do you see their aggregates first? Do you see them first, before you see their aggregates? Do you see them at the same time as you see their aggregates? Or do you see them after seeing their aggregates? This is the analysis you have to do.
Of course, there’s no way to label, “This is my mother,” before seeing your mother’s aggregates. You haven’t got any reason to label that if you haven’t seen those particular aggregates, that particular form. You have to see that particular body, with its short or long nose and so forth. I’m just joking.
You first have to see that particular form, the one that gave birth to you and took care of you. Your mind then has a reason to choose the label “mother” or “father.” And when you see the particular form that was born from the same parents, your mind has a reason to choose the label “brother” or “sister.” So, the label comes second. First you see the aggregates, and then you see the person. First you see their aggregates, and then you see your mother or father. So, you don’t see them together. There is no way that you see your mother or father at exactly the same time as you see their aggregates. It’s not possible. Because your mind hasn’t seen those particular aggregates, it wouldn’t label “This is my mother” or “This is my father.” It’s impossible for you to see them together. It is only after seeing those particular aggregates that you see your mother or father.
It is the same here with this flower. You see this particular base first, then your mind chooses the particular label “flower,” and it is then that you see the flower. After your mind has imputed “flower,” the flower then appears back to you; you then see the flower. So, this shows that the base and the flower are different. They don’t exist separately, but they exist differently. It helps you to understand that.
After you have entered the room, what you see in the first moment is the base, the base of the flower. On seeing the base of the flower, you don’t call it a table, a car or a TV. And on seeing the base of the table, you don’t call it a flower. You first see this particular base, this particular phenomenon, and seeing this base then causes your mind to choose the label “flower.” It’s very clear that what you first see is not the label “flower” but the base. Therefore, the base and the label are two different phenomena.
When we achieve enlightenment, we will totally cease the subtle negative imprint left by the concept of true existence in the past, which projects the mental fabrication of true existence, of a truly existent appearance. When that subtle negative imprint is removed, we are then an enlightened being. But until we remove the subtle negative imprint, everything that appears to us is a hallucination. Loving kindness, compassion and bodhicitta appear truly existent. Here, because we have this negative imprint left by past ignorance, by first seeing the base, in the next moment we merely impute “flower,” but then in the next moment, the negative imprint projects true existence right on top of that. It made the flower real to us, in the sense of having existence from its own side, but it’s a total hallucination. That real flower is fabricated, or projected, by our negative imprint left by past ignorance.
The way we see the flower is not according to reality. We don’t see the base of the flower and the label “flower” as separate, as different. As His Holiness Ling Rinpoche said, we see the base and the label as undifferentiable.
How you see the flower, as a flower not merely labeled by mind, as a flower existing from its own side, is a total hallucination. You don’t see the flower as existing from the side of your mind. The flower exists from the side of your mind. It is merely imputed by your mind; it is not only imputed but merely imputed by your mind. It is extremely subtle, but you don’t see that. You see the flower only as existing from its own side, as having nothing to do with your mind, which is a very gross hallucination. So, this is a hallucination; this is the object to be refuted.
It is similar with traffic lights. When you are driving a car, you see green lights, red lights, orange lights. Listen carefully here. We think that the thing we see at the very beginning is a green light, but we’re totally wrong. That’s a total hallucination.
Remember what I already said in relation to the flower, and listen carefully here. How can your mind label “green” or “red” without seeing a particular base at the beginning? You have to see a particular base first, before you label “green” or “red.” You have to see one particular base that can receive the label, so it means it is not that label. You have to understand this. What you first see is not the label “green” or “red.” You’re not seeing the label first.
If you were seeing the label first, because that label is imputed by your mind, in order to impute it, you would have to have a reason. What is the reason? You wouldn’t have any reason to label “green” or “red.” You could call it anything. This mistake then arises.
Let’s say that at that time you were already seeing red. Seeing red depends on the preliminary of red appearing to you. In order from something to appear red to you, you have to label “red.” In order to label “red,” you have to see the particular phenomenon that can receive the label “red.”
So, this is a very important meditation. We normally think that we’re seeing red without first seeing the base. This is totally wrong. This is a total hallucination.
What you see first, what is telling the car to stop or go, is not red or green; it’s the base to be labeled red or green. Do you understand? It’s the same as I explained before in relation to the flower and to the person and their aggregates. You have to see the aggregates first. When you see the particular aggregates, your mind then labels “This is my mother (father, brother or sister).” This is clear and easy to understand.
The example of the traffic lights is more difficult to understand, but the logic is the same. What you see first is not green or red. You think this is what you first see, but you’re totally wrong. By seeing that particular base, your mind labels “green” or “red” and “Green means I can go” or “Red means I should stop.” Do you understand?
This is a very important meditation. You may accept that something is labeled, but you think that the label comes together with the base. You see the red and green lights from their own side; for you there is no question of their being merely imputed by your mind. You see a real red light and a real green light existing from their own side. This is how it is when you drive a car, unless you are a buddha, who has no negative imprint projecting everything to be truly existent; if you are a buddha, you can then see merely imputed red and green lights.
Until we achieve enlightenment and remove the subtle negative imprint, as sentient beings we have all these hallucinations. The only exception is when, having achieved the arya path with the wisdom directly perceiving emptiness, we are in equipoise meditation on emptiness; at that time we don’t have that hallucination. As I mentioned before, even loving kindness has hallucination; even compassion has hallucination; even bodhicitta has hallucination. All the other realizations apart from the wisdom directly perceiving emptiness have hallucination. So, a sentient being’s mind is a hallucinated mind, except when they have the wisdom directly perceiving emptiness and are in equipoise meditation on emptiness.
Of course, you see red and green lights, but the lights appearing to you depends on the preliminary of your mind labeling “red light” or “green light.” And to be able to label “red light” or “green light,” you have to first see something, a particular base. It is the base that causes you to label “red” or “green,” and that’s not green or red, which comes afterwards. But how it appears to us is that there’s red from its own side, green from its own side. The red and green appear as if they never came from our mind, as if they truly exist from their own side. As I mentioned yesterday when I went over the different levels of hallucination according to the different schools, this is a very gross hallucination. The extremely gross hallucinations are that the red and green lights appear to you to be permanent; you don’t see their impermanent nature. They also appear to you to exist alone and to exist with their own freedom. These are the extremely gross levels of hallucination that we have in our life. But things appearing to be not labeled by mind is an extremely subtle hallucination, and this is the object to be refuted. When you realize that this one is empty, you realize the Prasangika School view of emptiness, the unmistaken right view. Otherwise, all the others are not really the correct view of emptiness.
So, it’s very interesting. It’s easy to understand that it is after seeing their aggregates that you see your mother or father. But it’s more difficult with the red and green lights. You think so strongly that there’s a red or green light from its own side and that’s what you first see that there’s no question of the base. So, there’s a lot of hallucination, a lot of mental fabrication, there.
That is another good meditation on the gak cha, the object to be refuted. How traffic lights appear to us and we believe them to exist is another good example of the hallucination, or the object to be refuted.
It is the same here with this bright, white light. Do you see the light from the side of your mind? Or do you see the light from its own side? That false view of a light from its own side is a very good example of the gak cha, the object to be refuted.
Even though the other examples were much easier and it’s more difficult to differentiate the base and the label “light,” it’s exactly the same. So, those are very good examples of the gak cha, the object to be refuted. When you realize that real light is totally false, totally nonexistent, you’re then seeing the emptiness of the light.
I’ll tell you one thing that will help with understanding the example of the light. Let’s say there’s a child who hasn’t been educated about green and red lights; they don’t know the names for green lights or red lights—and it doesn’t matter whether their language is English, Russian, Japanese, Chinese or Spanish. When you ask the child to look up, the child can see that phenomenon, but since they haven’t been educated in the names, they don’t see green lights or red lights. Now concentrate here on this point. Even though the child sees that phenomenon, because they haven’t been educated in the names for it, they don’t see it as a green light or a red light, because they don’t have an appearance of this as a green light or a red light. Why not? The child doesn’t label “This is a green light” or “This is a red light,” because they haven’t yet been educated in the name for that phenomenon. From the child’s side they don’t see that this is a green light or this is red light, because they don’t yet have the appearance of a green or red light, because their mind hasn’t yet labeled green or red lights. Why not? Because they haven’t been taught yet that this is a green or red light.
It’s the same with someone who has no idea that this is Medicine Buddha. They see a figure there, but they don’t see it as a painting of Medicine Buddha. They don’t see it as Medicine Buddha, because they don’t have the appearance of Medicine Buddha, because they haven’t yet labeled “This is Medicine Buddha.” Why not? Because that person hasn’t yet been taught that this is a painting of Medicine Buddha. They will see just the figure of a person. After somebody tells them, “This is a painting of Medicine Buddha,” they will label, “This is a painting of Medicine Buddha,” and right after they have given the label, there will be the appearance to them of Medicine Buddha. After the appearance, they will then see that this is a painting of Medicine Buddha.
So, now you understand; now it’s clear. Before that person is educated about how this is a painting of Medicine Buddha, what the person is seeing is the base. It is the same with the child and the green or red light. Before the child is taught the name for the object, the child sees that material object and that color, but doesn’t see that it’s a green light or a red light. They don’t see it and it doesn’t appear to them, because the child’s mind hasn’t labeled “green light” or “red light.” Until you teach the child, “This is a green light” and “This is a red light,” they see that phenomenon, but they don’t see a green or red light.
Since even “light” is a name, it’s the same. The child sees that phenomenon, then when they are educated that its name is “light,” they then see the light.
Therefore, what the child first sees is the base. When the child is then educated in the name for that phenomenon and believes what they are told, they then make up that same label; the green or red light then appears to them and they see the green or red light. Seeing the green or red light comes only afterwards. So, this example gives you a better idea of the meaning of the word, base. The base is what the child sees before they are taught that this is a green or red light. We think that the green or red light comes from there, but that’s a total hallucination. The example of the painting gives you a better idea of the base and the label in relation to the example of the child and the light.
It’s very useful to use more examples; you then see the hallucinations that we have.
I started this subject basically to explain how phenomena come from the mind, how what you now see is the creation of your present mind. The other explanation of how phenomena come from the mind involves something from the past, a more long-term evolution.
By understanding the explanation I’ve just given, you know that it’s up to your mind; depending on what you label, something then appears to you, then it affects you. If you put a negative label, it appears negative to you, you see it as negative, and it then affects you, making you angry or unhappy. If your mind puts a positive label, it appears positive to you, you see it as positive, and it then makes you happy. I gave only one or two examples, but I think you can now see that, in daily life, what makes you unhappy and what makes you happy is your mind, your concept. It totally depends on your mind. We always think that our happiness or unhappiness comes purely from its own side, purely from the side of a person or a non-living phenomenon, but that is a total hallucination. It has no basis.
Once you know that everything has to do with your mind, it gives you incredible freedom, because you can change. You can think in a different way; you can put a different label, a positive label. With any problem, by thinking of the benefits you receive from that problem, you can put a positive label on it: “good.” Every problem has its benefits, or advantages, and it is by thinking of those benefits that you’re able to transform the problem into happiness.
In this way you don’t engage in negative karma; you don’t harm yourself and you don’t harm other sentient beings. You protect yourself from heavy negative karmas, which make you sick, unhappy or drive you crazy in this life and also cause your rebirth in the unbelievable suffering of the lower realms. And even when you are then again born as a human being, you experience so many problems. You protect yourself from all those things; they don’t happen.
With a positive mind, you then bring happiness to yourself and to others. This is a fundamental practice; it’s called thought transformation, or lo-jong. We experience various problems because we have created the cause of them, negative karma. So, it’s up to your mind. Even though it’s the result of past negative karma, whether that situation is pleasure or suffering for you now depends on how your present mind interprets that situation, whether you look at it as positive or as negative. By looking at all your problems as positive, you are able to use them as a path not only to liberation, but to enlightenment. That means you’re able to use your problems to bring happiness to numberless sentient beings, liberating them from suffering and its causes and bringing them to enlightenment. You are able to use your problems as a means to cause happiness to all sentient beings. So, you transform your problems into happiness. Thinking of the benefits they get from problems gives Dharma practitioners a special capacity to transform suffering into happiness.
Take Geshe Lama Konchog, for example. Last night I was explaining how he told me just casually in passing, as if it was unimportant, “I have completed the two practices of Vajrayogini and Guru Puja.” He was actually a great yogi who had completed the path to enlightenment. There were relics of five different colors in Geshe Lama Konchog’s cremation stupa. When fire was offered to the holy body, amazing relics came. I don’t know for sure, but Geshe-la may have had the motivation to help the Maitreya Project through the relics. It’s possible that he had that intention and that’s why there are unbelievable relics. Even though Geshe-la’s hair was completely white, with no black hair at all, after the cremation fire, they also found black hair. So, that’s unimaginable. There were also pearl relics and five-colored relics.
Penor Rinpoche, the head lama of the Nyingma tradition, who lives in South India, was teaching at a small Kagyu monastery close to Baudha Stupa when Geshe Lama Konchog passed away at Kopan Monastery. Penor Rinpoche told his disciples during the teachings that the five-colored relics meant that Geshe Lama Konchog was enlightened and had achieved the buddhas’ five wisdoms: wisdom of accomplishment, mirror-like wisdom, wisdom of equanimity, discerning wisdom and wisdom of dharmadhatu.
I think these five colors are also explained in the very high tantric path of the Kagyu tradition. When he was sitting next to me during His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings, one very high lama who came from Tibet was explaining to me how it is in the texts. He was going to show me the texts, but it didn’t happen.
I didn’t make it clear at the end that it meant that Geshe Lama Konchog had finished his Dharma practice and completed the path.
Anyway, one day many years ago, when Geshe Lama Konchog was at Kopan, there was a lot of rain, and Geshe-la fell very heavily down the wet steps outside the front of the old gompa. Even though he fell very heavily, his mind was very happy, because when he fell down, he immediately thought that he had received my obstacles upon himself. He was unbelievably happy.
So, I’m just using this as an example of thought transformation. Because he put a positive label instead of a negative one, he was very happy. Even though his body fell heavily on the concrete, for him it was a happy experience because of his positive way of thinking. His happy mind came from his way of thinking.
I think we had better stop here. If we can do King of Prayers, that will be great.
Even though we don’t know exactly what is happening in Tibet, please dedicate for all the many people who are being killed there every day, Tibetan as well as Chinese. Also dedicate for all the people who have died in wars in different parts of the world, as well as for any members of your family and any FPMT students who have passed away up to now. Dedicate for those who have died and for everybody, young and old, who is sick in hospital or at home. We are reciting this prayer for the benefit of all of them, and for all sentient beings to achieve enlightenment.
[The group recites together the King of Prayers.]
Dedicate also for the people whose names I have here.
[Rinpoche reads out the names.]
We will dedicate all the merits collected by reciting King of Prayers in the following way: “Due to all the past merits collected during beginningless rebirths, the merits of the three times collected by me and the merits of the three times collected by all sentient beings, especially the bodhisattvas, and also by the buddhas, as well as all the merits they have collected from their own side, we give all our past merits and our present merits, including those collected today by reciting King of Prayers to all those who are sick or have died, including those whose names I’ve read.”
There are also more names.
[Rinpoche reads the names.]
So, we will chant a mala of OM MANI PADME HUM for them.
[Rinpoche recites a verse of request to Chenrezig in Tibetan.]
Visualize Thousand-arm Chenrezig. Nectar is emitted from Chenrezig and purifies all of these people, as well as all other sentient beings: all the hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, asuras and suras. You are purified and, in particular, all the people whose names I read out, those who are sick or have died, are purified.
[Rinpoche leads the group in chanting OM MANI PADME HUM.]
Think that the negative karma of all the sentient beings has been completely purified. All the sicknesses, spirit harms, negative karma and defilements of the numberless hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings (particularly those who are sick), asuras and asuras have been completely purified.
Make this strong prayer to Chenrezig.
“May all those who have died and whose names have been given to me immediately be liberated from all their sufferings and reincarnate in a pure land where they can be enlightened or receive a perfect human body, and by meeting a perfectly qualified Mahayana guru and the Mahayana teachings, achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible.”
So, make this request to Chenrezig from the bottom of your heart.
[There is a pause for meditation.]
“May those who are sick recover from their sickness and immediately be able to actualize guru devotion, the common path (the three principal paths) and the uncommon path (the two stages) in this very lifetime.
“Due to all the merits of the three times collected by me and the merits of the three times collected by all other sentient beings, particularly the bodhisattvas, and by all the buddhas, may everything happen for them as we have prayed.
“May the same happen for all the FPMT students and benefactors who have passed away up to now, those who bore much hardship offering service to this organization to benefit others and the teaching of Buddha.
“May all the rest of the sentient beings who are sick recover and then actualize bodhicitta, have most meaningful lives and achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible. And may those who have died be born in a pure land where they can become enlightened or receive a perfect human rebirth, meet a perfectly qualified Mahayana guru and the Mahayana teachings and achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible.”
After you have prayed in this way, those who haven’t received a great initiation can think that Chenrezig melts into light, absorbs at the point between your two eyebrows and blesses your body, speech and mind. And those who have received a Highest Tantra initiation, can think that Chenrezig absorbs through your crown.
Now visualize the seven Medicine Buddhas. Nectar beams are emitted from them to purify all sentient beings, particularly those who are sick and those who have passed away. Make strong prayers for them to achieve Medicine Buddha.
I will recite the names, and if you are able to recite them, also recite them. Otherwise, pray to Medicine Buddha that all these people are purified and that those people who have died immediately be born in a pure land where they can become enlightened or receive a perfect human rebirth and then quickly achieve enlightenment by meeting the Dharma.
[Rinpoche recites the name of the first Medicine Buddha seven times.]
“May whatever prayers you have done in the past ripen on me and all sentient beings, especially all these people who have passed away or who are sick. And may whatever I pray immediately be actualized.”
So, pray for those people who have passed away whose names were read out to be immediately born in a pure land where they can become enlightened or receive a perfect human body, meet a perfectly qualified Mahayana guru and the Mahayana teachings and achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible.
Think that Tsen Leg Pa, the first Medicine Buddha, fully accepted your request and then happily absorbs into the second Medicine Buddha.
[Rinpoche recites the name of the second Medicine Buddha seven times.]
“May whatever prayers you have done in the past ripen on me and all sentient beings, especially all these people who have passed away or who are sick. May whatever prayer I do be actualized immediately.”
Make the same requests as I mentioned before for those people.
[Rinpoche recites the name of the third Medicine Buddha seven times.]
“May whatever prayers you have done in the past immediately be actualized for me and all sentient beings, especially these people who have passed away or who are sick. May whatever prayer I do be actualized immediately.”
[Rinpoche recites the name of the fourth Medicine Buddha seven times.]
“May whatever prayers you have done in the past immediately be actualized for me and all sentient beings, especially these people who have passed away or who are sick. May whatever prayer I do be actualized immediately.”
[Rinpoche recites the name of the fifth Medicine Buddha seven times.]
“May whatever prayers you have done in the past immediately be actualized for me and all sentient beings, especially these people who have died and who are sick. May whatever prayer I do be actualized immediately.”
[Rinpoche recites the name of the sixth Medicine Buddha seven times.]
“May whatever prayer you have done in the past immediately be actualized for me and all sentient beings, especially these people who have passed away and who are sick. May whatever prayer I do be actualized immediately.”
[Rinpoche recites the name of the seventh Medicine Buddha seven times.]
“May whatever prayer you have done in the past immediately be actualized for me and all sentient beings, especially these people who have passed away and who are sick. May whatever prayer I do be actualized immediately.”
Now, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha.
[Rinpoche recites the name of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha seven times.]
“May whatever prayers you have done in the past immediately be actualized for me and all sentient beings, especially these people who have passed away and who are sick. May whatever prayer I do be actualized immediately.”
Think that all the negative karma and defilements of all those people who have died or are sick have been totally purified. Then think that Medicine Buddha absorbed within all those people who have died or who are sick, and they become totally enlightened in the aspect of Medicine Buddha.
“Due to all the merits of the three times collected by me and the merits of the three times collected by others, may bodhicitta be actualized without even a second’s delay in my heart; in the hearts of all the students and benefactors, so many of whom, in different parts of the world, dedicate their lives to the organization to offer service to sentient beings and the teaching of Buddha; in the hearts of all those who rely upon me, for whom I have promised to pray, whose names have been given to me; in the hearts of all the world leaders; in the hearts of all the people of the different religions, not only Buddhism but also all the other religions; and in the hearts of all sentient beings.
“Jang chhub sem chhog rin po chhe….
“Gang ri ra wäi khor wä zhing kham dir….”
[The students chant the short long-life prayer for Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Tibetan.]
Please read the prayer for fulfilling His Holiness’s holy wishes. The English can be translated into Spanish….
[Rinpoche chants the prayer for fulfilling His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s holy wishes in Tibetan.]
“Je tsün la mäi ku tshe rab tän ching….”
The prayer for all the other gurus….
“Due to all the past, present and future merits collected by me and the merits of the three times collected by others, which exist but which are merely labeled by mind, may the I, who exists but who is merely labeled by mind, achieve Lama Tsongkhapa’s enlightenment, which exists but which is merely labeled by mind, and lead all the sentient beings, who exist but who are also merely labeled by mind, to that Lama Tsongkhapa’s enlightenment, which exists but which is also merely labeled by mind, by myself alone, who is also merely labeled by mind.
“Chhö kyi gyäl pa tsong kha päi….
“Dag dang zhän gyi dü sum dang….
“We dedicate our own merits and the merits of all sentient beings, including the bodhisattvas, and the merits of all the buddhas for the general teachings of Buddha, particularly Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings, to be completely actualized within our own heart; in the hearts of our family members; in the hearts of all of us here; in the hearts of all the students in this organization; in the hearts of all the benefactors, everyone who helps the organization; in the hearts of all the many people in different parts of the world who dedicate their lives and bear so much hardship for the organization, offering service through the organization to benefit other sentient beings and the teaching of Buddha; in the hearts of all those who rely upon me, for whom I have promised to pray, whose names have been given to me; and in the hearts of everybody in this world. May the teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa flourish forever in this world and spread in all directions.”
So, good night, good morning.
