Chapter 25. Saturday, November 17: Final Session
Geshe Jampa Gyatso
Geshe Jampa Gyatso has had diabetes for a long time, but recently Geshe-la went for a checkup, and it seems the doctor told him that he has cancer.80 I only heard about it today. So, we should dedicate all our merits as well for Geshe-la’s quick recovery and very long and healthy life. I asked Geshe-la to do the next seven-year Masters Program. Geshe-la said last time that he now needs some help, perhaps another geshe to share the subjects.
I recently sent a letter to Geshe-la saying that he should accept an elaborate dakini long-life puja, and I also thanked him. I mentioned that it’s very important for him to live even one day longer, because he is one of the old geshes who came from Tibet, which means he studied in Tibet. Not only that, but he is somebody who has the three important qualities: he is good-hearted, learned and pure in morality. Generally, as a geshe, especially one who has all these three important qualities, it’s very important for him to live for even one day longer, because it’s very beneficial for the world, for sentient beings.
So, I asked Geshe-la to accept this long-life puja, and it seems he did accept it when I asked the last time I was in Italy.
The protector issue
I actually went to Italy two times. The second time was according to the program, but the first time I went to the Italian centers with a particular instruction about the protector issue. I didn’t get to go to all the centers, but the directors from the other centers came to Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa, the main center, and later I did visit one or two other centers. I don’t remember what I said word by word, but I mentioned that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the source of peace and happiness in the world and the one object of refuge, from whom all us sentient beings receive peace and happiness. His Holiness, the leader of the entire Buddhadharma, has preserved the Hinayana teaching, the Mahayana Paramitayana teaching and the Mahayana tantric teaching. He is the leader who has accepted responsibility for the entire Buddhadharma in this world. He has been working particularly for the Tibetan people, to obtain freedom for them, and it has been very, very difficult. His Holiness has borne so much hardship and undergone so many difficulties for that. His Holiness’s holy actions to benefit sentient beings and the teaching of Buddha are as extensive as the limitless sky. His Holiness’s kindness and benefit to sentient beings is as extensive as the limitless sky. Therefore, we must obey and support His Holiness. We must follow His Holiness’s wishes by thinking in a vast way.
I also mentioned during the geshe conference in Holland that when I teach, only sixty or seventy people come, but when His Holiness teaches, many hundreds of thousands of people come. Therefore, if we help support His Holiness, His Holiness can benefit sentient beings even more. In a way, this means that we can also benefit sentient beings more. I was trying to inspire them during the geshe conference.
Another point is that even though there are many religious leaders in the world, nobody else brings such great benefit to the world. And even though there are many other Buddhist leaders, nobody benefits the world like His Holiness. And even though there are many Tibetan lamas, no one else is able to benefit as much as His Holiness. And even among the incarnations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, no one else spread Dharma in the West. They spread Dharma in Tibet, but not even all over the East. However, this incarnation has spread Dharma all over the East and especially in the West, where there has been no Buddhadharma, where there has been darkness from the beginning.
Therefore, because of what His Holiness can do to benefit sentient beings and because of all his incredible qualities, we must support His Holiness and follow his wishes. We have to give up our own personal interests. (I didn’t say exactly that, but something like that.) I said to think in a very big way, not in very small, narrow way.
So far I have never brought up the issue of the protector in public or in Mandala magazine. But I now need to explain this issue because last year or at the beginning of this year we made a new regulation in the FPMT organization that before we invite a teacher to a center first we must examine whether or not the teacher is practicing the protector. The second time, I went to two centers in Italy, and at the end of the course, I told them about it. There are many centers in Italy, and in recent times, quite a few places have started to mention the protector. I explained that nowadays there is a regulation in the organization. There is the normal way of analyzing the qualities of a Dharma teacher before making a Dharma connection as explained in the texts, but now an additional point is whether or not the teacher is practicing the protector. This needs to be checked before a teacher is invited to an FPMT center.
I think I also mentioned at the geshe conference that from my side, as leader of the FPMT organization, I suggested following His Holiness’s wishes. I especially have responsibility from that side. I mentioned that since I have the responsibility, I will explain the issue. I might also have mentioned the new regulation.
I told the people in Italy, “This is also for your own security, for your own individual safety, so that problems don’t occur in the future.” I mentioned that it is important even in individual cases. I also told them it is very important not to generate anger or heresy toward other gurus who do the practice or advised them to do the practice. It is very bad to get angry and generate heresy toward or criticize other gurus who do the practice or advise others to do it. I don’t remember every word I said, but I said it would be extremely harmful to do this.
I said that they should continuously look at those gurus as Buddha and that Buddha can manifest in various aspects. I also read the letter that I wrote to the incarnation of His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche, requesting Rinpoche to follow His Holiness’s wishes and to support His Holiness. Because he’s His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s guru, it would then mean that many people, especially Tibetans, would be protected from falling into the lower realms; they would be protected from giving rise to heresy, or negative views, and from opposing His Holiness. If they have those negative thoughts, they will break samaya and go to the lower realms. Giving rise to negative thoughts toward great holy beings and toward the guru creates very heavy negative karma, which would then throw them into a hell realm. If there is harmony with His Holiness, it will help to protect so many Tibetan people from the lower realms.
In that letter I also mentioned that different lamas give different advice not only on the issue of the protector but also on other issues. If you ask many lamas the same questions, not only on the issue of the protector but even on Dharma, you will get different advice. You will get different explanations. For example, Sera Monastery has Sera Me and Je colleges, Ganden has Shartse and Jangtse colleges and Drepung has Loseling and Gomang colleges, and within those colleges there are different explanations of Dharma. Of course the essence is the same, but there are different explanations when you debate, and some of the explanations are contradictory. So, not only do gurus give different advice on the issue of the protector, but on many other things. One says to do this and another says don’t do that. That different lamas are giving different advice is nothing new. The issue of the protector is nothing new. One says to practice, another says don’t practice—that’s nothing new. Receiving different advice is nothing new.
However, even if you were practicing the protector before, you have to stop now for your own safety and especially to fulfill His Holiness’s wishes, so that His Holiness has a long life. The main reason is that, because of His Holiness’s special qualities, His Holiness is able to benefit sentient beings more, so by living long, His Holiness will be able to benefit the world even more. It’s good to think in that way.
The conclusion is: think all of the gurus are Buddha, and that Buddha can manifest in various forms and reveal different methods and give different answers. Buddha even manifests showing mistakes, and that is according to one’s own karma, one’s own mistaken thoughts. You should use your own wisdom. You should analyze the situation, mainly relying on Buddha’s teachings and the commentaries by the great pandits and yogis. Those valid references are your guidelines. You then use your own wisdom to analyze what is of greatest benefit to sentient beings. Use your own wisdom to choose, and choose what is of the greatest benefit. Choose what is not harmful, or less harmful, and is of greater benefit to sentient beings. Use your own wisdom to analyze that on the basis of Buddha’s teachings. Again, here, it should not be up to what you feel or what you like but according to Buddha’s teachings and those of the great pandits and yogis. You use your wisdom in accordance with those major teachings. Leaving it up to what you feel or what you like can be misleading. If you are referring only to that, it can bring a lot of harm if you’re not careful.
Anyway, I didn’t mean to mention this issue here. I was talking about Geshe Jampa Gyatso, and my talk then went somewhere else.
Geshe-la did accept to do the next seven-year masters’ program, the second one, even though he will need another geshe to help him. So, we will dedicate all our merits and the fire puja to Geshe-la’s good health and long life and for him to be able to do the seven-year program, as well as to be able to continuously give teachings to sentient beings and guide them.
Fire puja
The other thing is that it may be easier to generate a bodhicitta motivation here in the gompa. Of course, we can again generate a motivation of bodhicitta at the beginning of the fire puja. We will dedicate at the end as well.
Has there been any discussion of the basic instructions for the fire puja?
Ven René: Yes, Rinpoche. Could Rinpoche say the mantra of Agni, because we’re not clear about how to pronounce that mantra. Nobody remembers.
Rinpoche: Oh, I think OM AGNEYE SOHA. But then there is the other....
Ven René: ADIVYA ADIVYA ...?
Rinpoche: OM AGNIA ADISHA ADISHA ABISHA ABISHA ... SOHA. Well, that’s the way Tibetans commonly recite it. I don’t think it’s correct according to Sanskrit,81 but that’s how it’s commonly said when Tibetans recite it.
I am going to use the Mitrugpa fire puja text, as Medicine Buddha is of the same class of lower tantra. That’s what I did for the fire puja after my retreat. Jampa Chökyi has also translated the sadhana and fire puja for the Thousand-arm Chenrezig retreat, so you can use that for Medicine Buddha and other Action Tantra deities.
The part of the motivation we can do later, and the substances can also be explained later. As in Dorje Khadro fire puja, you think that all your negative karmas and the negative karmas of all sentient beings are absorbed into that.
I’ll mention just some basic things. As far as possible, visualize yourself as the deity, as Medicine Buddha. I don’t remember all the details, but when the text comes, I will explain more before the fire puja. One fire deity has four arms and another has only two arms. I think this Mitrugpa one has one face and two arms and maybe the fire deity in Highest Yoga Tantra has four arms, though I’m not sure.
You make offering to the fire deity, then afterwards you make offering to Mitrugpa, the deity beyond samsara, by visualizing the mandala, and then again you offer to the fire deity. The fire deity is a worldly aspect. So, first you offer to the fire deity; then to the main deity, Medicine Buddha; and then again to the fire deity. However, His Holiness Ling Rinpoche said and the text of the fire puja says, it’s one thing. You yourself are Medicine Buddha, and you then offer to the fire deity or to Medicine Buddha.
Because I didn’t get to come here much during the retreat, we didn’t get done the intensive meditations during the break-times. We didn’t get to do the intensive walking meditation on emptiness, where you look at everything as a hallucination, as it is a hallucination. You can do this intensive meditation in the break-times while walking and also while sitting. Here, look at everything as being like a dream. At least think that everything, including you yourself as Medicine Buddha, is merely imputed by mind. All these things that appear to be existing from their own side are hallucinations. Look at them as hallucinations. You, Medicine Buddha, the holy body doing the fire puja, the offerings, the actions of offering—what exists is what is merely imputed by mind, but it appears to be existing from its own side, not merely imputed by mind. All these are hallucinations, so they are empty. Being a hallucination means it’s empty. When you say, “I’m meditating that everything is a hallucination,” the idea in your heart is that it’s empty. That’s what you meditate on. It brings the understanding, or awareness, that all these things are empty. All other things are also merely imputed by mind. The one who is offering, the offerings, the action of offering and the object to whom you are offering are merely imputed by thought; they are subtle dependent arisings. Again that harms the object of ignorance: the things existing by nature and not merely imputed by mind, the truly existent things. When you think of dependent arising, especially subtle dependent arising, it harms the object of ignorance. All this practice of offering burning puja becomes an antidote to samsara. It doesn’t become a cause of samsara but an antidote to samsara. That’s one thing you should think.
When you offer the grains, butter and other things to the holy mouth, think that it becomes an offering of transcendental wisdom nectar. You offer the kusha grass and crab grass as a seat for the deity. You offer the yamshing, the sticks, to the beams emitting from the holy body of the deity. That’s what I remember is said in the text, anyway. The conclusion is that you are offering to the deity. If you can think you’re offering to the deity, that’s how you collect merit.
Here again you can bring the practice of guru yoga. With every single offering, whether to Medicine Buddha or even to the fire deity, always do the practice of offering with the guru yoga mind, by thinking of the guru. Whether you are offering to the fire deity or to Medicine Buddha, see them as the guru. In essence, you are offering to the guru. It then becomes a very rich offering, because with every single offering you make with this awareness, you collect the greatest merit. As I mentioned last night and also at other times, you collect much more merit than from offering to numberless buddhas and bodhisattvas; and you collect much more merit than from offering to numberless statues, stupas, scriptures and thangkas in the ten directions. So, every single offering you make collects much more merit than from having made offering to the numberless statues, stupas, scriptures and thangkas that are in all the universes and to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas. It is like this with every offering you make, if you offer by thinking of the guru. This is the wisest, most skillful way to offer, because you collect the most extensive merit with every single offering. You don’t waste your effort. That’s one point.
You can meditate on the particular purpose, what is to be purified with each substance, once at the beginning. If you have a lot to offer, you can then just do it with the mantra. You can recite the mantra and abbreviate the part of the obstacle that is to be purified.
When I do fire pujas, I normally think of myself and all sentient beings. You can extend it to include teachers, students and patrons. You can mention those specific names; however, the main thing is to bring in all sentient beings. I think it’s very beautiful when you include all sentient beings when you are purifying all the obstacles. I think that’s very, very good. As much as possible, the aim of the fire puja should be for all sentient beings, to purify their negative karma and defilements and bring everyone to liberation from samsara and to enlightenment. I think that’s what makes a fire puja great.
You can do the long offering verse at the beginning, then just offer with the mantra or something abbreviated, thinking that your obstacles to achieving liberation and enlightenment and those of all other sentient beings are purified. It can be shortened in that way, and then at the end when the substances are finished, you can do it one more time in this way.
There are instructions on how you hold the substances and how you sit, depending on whether the fire puja is pacifying, increasing, controlling or wrathful. The color of your clothes also depends on which action you are performing. For controlling, you wear a pure red scarf or dress; for pacifying, white clothes, and so on.
The two implements you hold symbolize method and wisdom. You hold them together and put them there like that. When the helper passes them both, you fill them up with butter, and pass them both together. This is how you do it according to the lower tantric college.
There are different ways of holding them, but I don’t remember the complete details. I think the peaceful way is like that. During the first Enlightened Experience Celebration, I think Lama Yeshe gave teachings on this. Actually, Lama and I received the oral transmission of Lama Tsongkhapa’s text of the commentary on the fire puja, Jinsek Ngödrub Gyatso. Jin means offering and sek means burn. When the Tibetan term jinsek is translated into English, it’s not “fire puja” but “offering burning.” Ngödrub Gyatso means oceans of realization. So, Lama Tsongkhapa’s text is Offering Burning, Oceans of Realizations. It has extensive commentary on the fire puja. Lama requested it from His Holiness Ling Rinpoche, so then we received it. Of course, there’s no way I can remember all the details of that.
When the helper passes the implements to you, they should do it like this. I don’t remember seeing this in the text. When you take it, you then offer like this. I think Lama Yeshe explained this. I wasn’t there but it seems it’s like this. And I remember Harry Ram doing that. Does anybody here know Harry Ram? Anyway, I’m joking. I don’t think I was there, but at that time many Sangha received the elaborate instruction from Lama. It seems that Harry was doing what Lama had explained. I don’t think Ram Dass does that, but Harry does. Anyway, I’m joking!
There is a text that describes the kind of attainment and also the obstacles indicated by the color of the fire, but I think there’s no point in going over that today because it would take time. But there are descriptions of the colors of the flames and the number of points they have, with explanations of obstacles and attainments.
Lama liked fire pujas very, very much, because Lama thought that if you make offerings to monasteries, you feel pride, but here with a fire puja, the offering is pure; it doesn’t make you feel pride. Lama used to praise fire pujas quite often. And there is so much benefit from the practice. Along with the explanation about the fire, about its colors, how it burns and how many tips the flames have, many benefits are also explained there in the text.
So, as with a normal offering, you think the deity is the guru and that the guru generates bliss.
Ven. René: Do the people who have a bell and dorje hold them? Or does Rinpoche hold them for everybody?
Rinpoche: Maybe you can draw a bell and vajra on your hands. No, you can actually carve them. Or you could have a tattoo of them. I’m joking.
Yes, I think you should do that if you can. If you can manage, it’s good. Thank you very much for reminding me. Actually, you should have a very big bell and a very big vajra. Once you begin the fire puja, though not for the preliminary prayers, you’re not supposed to let the bell and vajra separate from your hands. Quite a few times I have dropped the vajra in the fire. Also, though I don’t know the reason for this, if you’re sitting, you’re not supposed to pass them beyond your knees. Therefore, everything has to be quite close. That’s what is normally advised. But if you are standing, as most people were for the Most Secret Hayagriva fire puja, it’s different.
From when you begin the fire puja up until the ceremony finishes, the right hand does the work. It’s very good to have a small vajra, which they sell in shops, if you are doing a fire puja after a retreat, especially after the long three-year retreat, when you do one hundred thousand fire pujas. It’s very easy with a small vajra because you can tie it to your hand. It’s easier than with a big one.
So, I think that’s about it.
Ven. Sarah: Do we have to keep silence, Rinpoche?
Rinpoche: Yes, that’s right. You also have to keep silence. You can’t open your lips, so you have to recite the mantra from your nose. No, I’m joking.
The person who is actually doing the fire puja, whether after a retreat or as a puja, has to keep silence. But those who are just helping with the fire puja and not actually doing it don’t have to keep silence.
Before we begin the fire puja we will do the motivation, and there are also some visualizations. It is not particularly mentioned in the text but I usually do that. It might be very helpful for the mind, and also for other sentient beings, especially for healing sick people.
[There is a request to offer a thanksgiving mandala.]
No, you can do it next year.
Everybody make a strong, particular request to the protectors for Lama Ösel to come back to Sera Monastery as quickly as possible, for Lama’s mind to change and be inspired to come back to study continuously in the monastery.
The other very urgent thing is for the Maitreya Project. This week and next week are a critical time for the Maitreya Project to receive funding. Make strong request for the funding to be received as planned without any delay and without any obstacles, this week and next week. That’s extremely important. It’s a very serious issue, not to be delayed any more. It seems there’s a need for Praises to the Twenty-one Taras. The praises can be recited individually or as a group if people are able to give the time. When you do the Tara praises, whether in your daily life or in groups when you go back to your center, make requests to Tara for success in receiving the funding, as planned from our side, without any delay.
[The group chants the protector prayers, then Ven. Sarah tries to begin a long mandala offering.]
No, no! If you really want to do it, do the quickest one.
[The group does a short mandala offering.]
Ven. Sarah: I missed the dedications because I was making your tea. I wanted to make special dedications of all the merit from the retreat for Rinpoche’s perfect health and long life and also for the elimination of all the obstacles to the many, many projects that Rinpoche has, especially the Maitreya Project.
Also, we actually got these eight Medicine Buddha statues when Rinpoche agreed to do this retreat as a thank-you offering for Rinpoche’s agreeing to do the retreat. We got them at the end of last year, and they were blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. There have been many good signs with these statues, and gradually more and more gold has been offered to them. Angela very kindly offered gold to the robes recently. We then decided to do very extensive offerings, and we managed to keep up the offerings. This is also completely dedicated to Rinpoche’s long life and health and for all his wishes to be fulfilled.
Rinpoche: For the long life of my nose, for its perfect health.
[The group recites Rinpoche’s long-life prayer in English.]
Rinpoche: Is it easier to do the tsog now or after the puja?
Ven. Sarah: It’s easier now, Rinpoche, because then we can clean the whole room.
Rinpoche: We can’t put the tsog where the substances are?
Ven. Sarah: It’s a question of tables. But if Rinpoche wants to do that, we’ll do that.
Rinpoche: If there’s space to put tsog there, we’ll do it after the puja. But if there’s no space, we can do it now.
Ven. Sarah: There’s space, Rinpoche, there’s space. Does that mean we can do the long-life prayer two more times?
Ven. René: Rinpoche, it’s easier to do it here, because there won’t be any light for reading the texts there.
Rinpoche: Right. I thought about that too. Maybe it’s better if we do King of Prayers here instead of at the fire puja, since it may be difficult to read with the poor light. We’ll do King of Prayers and the prayer for the spreading of Dharma. Does anyone remember which prayer it is today? Which one’s turn is it today? Which prayer was done last night?
[There is a discussion about how Final Lamrim Prayer was done.]
Today we’ll do King of Prayers. Since it’s difficult to read there, we’ll do the King of Prayers here and then the prayer for the spreading of Dharma after that.
[The group recites King of Prayers.]
Ven. René: The prayer for the flourishing of Lama Tsongkhapa’s teachings.
[The group recites Prayer for the Flourishing of Je Tsongkhapa’s Teachings, then recites the two Lama Tsongkhapa dedications.]
Rinpoche: We’re going to do the dedications after the fire puja....
Benefits of Medicine Buddha retreat
So, I want to express this. We did a Vajrasattva retreat before, and I think that all those who gave time to do the retreat received great benefit from it. And before that we did a Most Secret Hayagriva retreat at Vajrapani Institute. Even though it’s an uncommon, unfamiliar deity, somehow it had a lot of effect. It was noticeable that both new and old students were inspired very much to practice Dharma.
This time I wished very much to do Medicine Buddha retreat and also wished to spread the practice of Medicine Buddha more. This is the first time we have done a Medicine Buddha retreat. I don’t know whether anybody has done an individual Medicine Buddha retreat, but I don’t remember any individual person doing a Medicine Buddha retreat, even in the early times at Kopan. Sometimes an individual person did a Manjushri retreat, but I don’t remember anyone doing a Medicine Buddha retreat. I think you can see that it has incredible blessings. When you are doing the practice, doing the meditations, you can feel the purification and how it is blessing your mind. It’s the first time we have done Medicine Buddha retreat in the organization. You don’t normally hear about Medicine Buddha retreat. I think this has been a very good start, but it is only the beginning. Hopefully, this experience will help Medicine Buddha retreat to be done in many other places, in many other countries. Through Medicine Buddha practice, we will be able to offer extensive benefit to all sentient beings, enabling them to achieve enlightenment quickly.
I didn’t get to explain much, as I didn’t get to stay here and come to all the sessions. I would still like to develop further the way of doing retreat. But you experienced how it was done during this time. Of course, I still wish to develop it, to make it better, and to be able to help you. You yourself can do the retreat again, because if you do it strictly and with many sessions, you can actually finish the retreat quite quickly. It doesn’t take a long time to finish that number of just ten thousand mantras, as you know. Since you have done the retreat here, you also know how to guide a Medicine Buddha retreat. It’s part of your education, your training, so that you can help to organize and lead a Medicine Buddha retreat in your own country. I think that would be extremely good. A one-week Medicine Buddha retreat could also be done; you could even try that. If you do longer sessions, you could finish within one week. I think you know from your experience here that you could finish the retreat in one week. You just have to work harder.
I explained the skies of benefit of Medicine Buddha practice, so you can understand that it would be very good to see if it’s possible to organize a retreat in your own country. You could even improve the way of doing the retreat. It can be improved; it can be developed.
I wished very much for this retreat, and now it has happened, so thank you very much. Thank you very, very much to every one of you. We did exactly what is needed in the world; we practiced the exact antidote. Like the exact medicine for a particular sickness, we did the exact practice that is needed now in the world. So, that’s what I wanted to say. It has been a great blessing, very powerful.
This retreat is an offering to repay the kindness of, first of all, the Buddha of Compassion, His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It’s also an offering to repay the kindness in particular of Lama Yeshe, who founded this organization and who originally bought the Land of Medicine Buddha land. It was bought for universal education; however, we’re now using this land for many projects, not just for universal education. This is an offering to repay the kindness of Lama, as well as the kindness of all sentient beings. It’s also repaying the kindness of your own parents, your father and mother, as I mentioned this morning. When I was talking about why we should use every limb in our daily life to purify our mind and to collect as much merit as possible, I mentioned how we should make our limbs and our whole body, speech and mind beneficial for our parents or the other people who took care of us, who bore so much hardship for us.
So, I think that’s it. We’ll now do the next thing, the fire puja.
Ven. René: We still need to prepare for the fire puja, Rinpoche. Maybe we need two hours?
Rinpoche: To arrange the substances? No, I don’t think it will take two hours. Just put them in order according to the text. That’s it. We already did a fire puja there, so you know that. And Tsering, the monk from Kopan, knows what to do. You can start.
[There is some discussion among the students and some announcements.]
Anthony Mark Lachlan, aged fifty years, died in England on Tuesday, November 6. So, we will dedicate for him at the end of the fire puja.
Notes
80 Geshe Jampa Gyatso passed away on November 27, 2007. For further details, see the February-March 2008 issue of Mandala magazine. [Return to text]
81 The mantra is written in Sanskrit as OM AGNEYE ADIVYA ADIVYA AVISHA AVISHA MAHASHRIYE HAVYA KAVYA VAHANAYE SVAHA. [Return to text]
