CHÉ ZHI CHUNG GYE GYÜ PA DZIN NAM DANG. Lineage holders of the four great and eight lesser schools,. DRI TAK TSAL SUM PAL DEN DRUK PA SOK.
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How do these imprints color our notion of Buddhism? These projected realities can only be indicated and fully understood individually. If anything it seems that approaching the surety of the rational mind with mindful awareness is wise; for such a cherished dialectic is as much an habitual fabrication as anything else. Mindful of the potential impossibility and eternal contradictions that words allow for, I acknowledge that I may make a variety of mistakes in trying to address this topic.
That said, I invite you to explore with me how practice for others is a vitally important dharma activity. There are many different forms of prayer. Aspiration prayers, dedication prayers, supplication to a particular lineage, direct prayers of praise to a given Buddha, and prayers of request for empowerment, to name a few.
Through personal prayer, in a very general sense, we make a connection with our distinct source of spirituality and the well-spring of spaciousness, interpenetrating connection, and personal empowerment that it offers.
The specific directionality and aim of our prayers can be focused and refined by what kind of prayer one does. A great example of an aspiration prayer is the Dewachen Prayer ; it focuses the mind upon making the aspiration for either oneself or another to be reborn in Dewachen or Sukhavati, the pure-land of the Buddha Amitabha. Dedication prayers connect us to others; they engender compassion, and reinforce our commitment to bodhisattva activity. The following is an example of a dedication prayer:.
By this virtue may I quickly Attain the state of a Guru-Buddha Enlightenment , And then may I lead every being, without exception, into that state. May the most precious and supreme bodhicitta awakening mind Which has not yet been generated now be generated. And may the precious mind of bodhicitta which has been generated Never decline, but always increase. Dedication prayers are a way in which we ground our intention.
Dorje Chang Thungma
They help us to keep the general view of interconnection and offer a form of bearing witness. Any merit that we have created we dedicate to all beings, so that they may experience Buddhahood; this is a way of not forgetting and maintaining our heritage as both a potential buddha, but also as a participant in samsara. These prayers are easily over-looked, but they open us up to a sense of loving-kindness and appreciation of others no matter what form they take.
Lineage prayers, much like family trees, connect us with those who have come before us. This prayer serves to connect us with the Kagyu lineage, delivering the blessings of its founders, as well as the central blessing of the Kagyu approach to the practice of meditation. Lineage prayers like this one are a way of directly connecting with the essence of a lineage, and through that, experiencing deep inspiration and faith, the energy that bolsters us in our practice.
As far as prayers directed at a particular Buddha, I have included a prayer to the Buddha Prajnaparamita for the removal of obstacles. This prayer is a supplication to Parjnaparamita and the dakinis of the three places so that all obstacles and hindrances may be removed. Prayer to remove obstacles based upon Prajnaparamita from the Gelug Lineage. In these ways, we see that prayer can be focused and very specific. Each modality is a little different from the others, but can be easily blended into one another if one desires. I have come to find that as a chaplain, prayer is real.
It effects significant change within me when I deliver it within my own practice, and when I perform prayer for others it changes the feeling of the room as well as the orientation of the person for whom it was delivered. Prayer can be a vehicle, and a ladder, it is a bridge and an oasis in the face of difficulty.
I realize that personal prayer and ritual, as part of a regular spiritual practice makes a lot of sense- the effects are palpable. But what of prayer and ritual for others? This is something that I feel a greater number of people in the West may be more skittish about. Lately I have been requested to perform pujas and prayers for a number of people who have recently passed away. The effect of Mahakala and Shingkyong, in my mind at least, is profound- there is little chance that as enlightened protectors they will forget to benefit beings; and so, when invoked and supplicated with heartfelt devotion and clarity, there is no reason as to why obstacles will arise.
So the Tsa-tsa was the cause for them to attain enlightenment. We have many different stories like this. Why is devotion so important? How does one get the key? One needs the right causes and results, first and foremost the oral instructions from a Lama. Sincere devotion and deep respect are the means by which we establish our connection to our Lama, who is just as dedicated to his disciples as they are to him.
Free from the fear of being too near to or too far from one another, mutual devotion and respect that a Lama and his disciples have for each other unlocks the door to the treasure. This is the reason why genuine and unconditional faith and devotion as well as open-heartedness are so decisive in Mantrayana and why we pray the line: I can imagine the feeling of unconditional love, but I always have the feeling that devotion cannot be unconditional.
Would you say something about this? Sometimes unconditional devotion can be dangerous. All masters taught that one needs to check ones feelings and be very careful, because often one takes desire as being faith and devotion, which is a grave error. If a follower has attachment for a Lama or master, then he or she hinders the blessings.
This is a danger. Sometimes I feel that some people think a Lama is a person they can marry and then they treat him like a future husband. When people see a Lama and disciple close to each other in such a manner, then lots of false assumptions are planted in the minds of those persons. I have seen and felt this - it is desire, not devotion. This is a misunderstanding. From the Buddhist point of view, the Guru-disciple relationship is very important. This connection is established through devotion, which is not a feeling of being in love.
A Lama tries to be very friendly all the time and tries to benefit people. There are many different kinds of Lamas - inner Lama and outer Lama. There are different aspects of a Lama — relative and ultimate. In Tibet, we say that there are three aspects of the Lama. The ultimate Lama is the true nature of all things and of our mind. A relative Lama is either an ordinary living being who holds the lineage or a Lama who manifests symbolically. A beginner needs to rely on a lineage Lama. It would be very good for a disciple to rely on a lineage Lama, because he or she could gradually learn to connect with the inner Lama, who is direct perception of the true nature of all things.
And so, a Lama is not someone one falls in love with and plans to marry. It may be hard to understand this and then there is no communication. But if a student sees it differently, the relationship cannot function. Lamas are also human beings and do not always know what a student needs. So, it is important for both teacher and follower to look and examine each other carefully, maybe even for 12 or 13 years. Followers have to examine and check whether a Lama is really the right teacher for them or not. A Lama also has to examine and check whether a person is really serious or not.
If this is done correctly, then a student may find that a Lama is the right teacher and a Lama may find that a disciple is a good student. They both have to check and then it functions. One has to work with that and try to open the door to the treasure, to look at the treasure, and to use the jewels that are the teachings.
Once a lady visited me and asked me how she could solve the many problems she had and told me about. Then I recommended that she practice the Tara Sadhana in order to clear away her obstacles, but she did not have the text. I told her that she could buy it in the shop of the institute and bring it along so that I could give her the reading transmission.
She rushed to the shop, bought the text, and returned right away. If not, try your best to solve your problems. So, sometimes it is confusing. A qualified teacher is someone who needs to have good qualities that surpass those of his students. Shes-rab is born in ones mind by hearing the teachings, by contemplating them, and by meditating them. Furthermore, a qualified teacher needs to have great loving kindness and compassion for his students. He also needs to have great patience and an untiring mind, i.
And his pride may only be slight. A genuine and good student should never feel competitive towards his or her teacher. A good student needs to have a good character, be diligent, compassionate, humble, interested, and enthused about receiving, studying, and meditating the teachings. Marpa gave Milarepa lots of trouble, but Milarepa never felt that he had a bad teacher and therefore he realized the inner Lama in that very life. Marpa, for instance, walked to India three times. There were no cars, no buses, and no trains then. He walked, and it was a very dangerous journey.
I want to open the treasure-box. Pandita Naropa was put through many hardships by his teacher. Earlier we saw that a Dakini appeared to Naropa and told him that he must receive instructions from Shri Tilopa in order to be able to open the treasure and see the inner Guru. You must go to him. I will do whatever he says. He was very hurt when he landed on the ground and his bones were broken.
Are you in pain? It has no essence. I will bless you and everything will be fine. Tilopa knew that Naropa was a great scholar and that he was not in need of words, so he gave him trouble and finally the pointing-out instructions. And while going through so many hardships, Naropa never doubted nor felt less sublime devotion for his teacher, because he knew that Tilopa would show him the treasure of his own mind. Please do not think you can imitate these events.
The great disciples knew for certain that their most excellent Lamas had truly won control over their own minds and were free. They were all on higher Bodhisattva levels of accomplishment and the very advanced disciples had received a prophecy, which is exceptional. Being beginners, we need to rely on teachers who relate to our level of understanding. What can we do? We can find a good Lama who helps us open the treasure. Look at your feelings about a Lama you meet precisely and see if you have devotion and if he has better qualities than you, like little pride, much patience, diligence, wisdom, and compassion.
It is possible to recognize if a Lama is good. You need to connect to an authentic Lama in order to receive the blessings of the lineage. Even though it is almost impossible to find an exceptional master who teaches us like those mentioned above, His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa is here and he is our main teacher. We need a guide and helpers so that we can work on our practice, and we can recognize whether someone is a spiritual friend or teacher.
When you progress higher and higher, maybe you can meet Je Gampopa and the Gyalwa Karmapa face to face. Another important factor is gaining irreversible assurance of ones Guru-disciple relationship and being free of slightest doubts. The firm devotion one has for ones Lama and he has for his students needs to be mutual, i. Stable and firm trust and devotion are the medium on which the result is swiftly recorded.
If a student has very stable and firm trust and devotion in a specific Lama, then merely hearing his name or recalling his qualities touches the disciple so deeply that tears spontaneously come to the eyes or all the hair stands on end. These extraordinary reactions are signs that a disciple has genuine trust and perfect devotion in his or her Lama.
Then we looked at the prayer that teaches that sincere devotion and deep respect are the head of meditation. We saw that it is necessary to develop and again and again practice cultivating and increasing sincere devotion and deep respect for our Lamas in order to receive the lineage blessings so that we experience and deepen our realization while practicing the stages of the paths. The first point that is necessary to follow when one practices meditation is the eight aspects of posture, the most important being sitting straight.
A correct posture influences the mind, which makes it is easier to focus ones attention on the object of ones meditation. There are two, meditation with an object and meditation without an object. I will speak about the seven aspects that help practitioners develop good meditation. To begin with, the seat or cushion should be pleasant and nice.
The Short Dorje Chang Lineage Prayer
Third, the spine should be held very straight. Keeping the spine straight is a most important point, because then the subtle energy channels in the body will also be straight and the life-force energy that flows through the channels can flow without being constricted. If the life-force energy flows straight, then the mind will be straight, too. Fourth, the shoulders should be level, just as balanced as an eagle when it soars in the sky.
Rather, the eyes should be half-closed and looking about eight finger-widths beyond the tip of the nose, gazing at the object that is there. Sixth, there should be a slight gap between the lips and teeth that are not held against each other, in which case they would cause a grinding sound. The tongue should rest against the palate, which reduces salivation and causes one to swallow less often. All aspects of the posture are important, because the mind becomes stable and calm when the body is relaxed. For example, one is exhausted after having jogged for 3 hours and feels relieved when one stops, sits down on a bench, and rests.
You feel like that when you sit correctly. Which object is pure and which one is impure? One settles into the seven-point posture and focuses ones attention on the object that one chose.
There are many pure objects, too, but we choose a statue or picture of the Buddha, which is a very beneficial support for our practice. In case there is no outer representation of the Buddha available to us, then we imagine the Buddha in space before us and focus our attention on this visualization. There are a few possibilities when visualizing the Buddha, for instance, having him appear slowly, from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet, and being attentive of each detail during the process. Should it be easier, visualizing the entire image of Buddha instantaneously is also a means to practice.
It is very important for beginners to practice for a short while and to repeat the practice again and again. And now, let us do a short meditation together by focusing our attention on the Buddha, the pure object. It was hard for me to visualize with opened eyes, because what I visualized moved. But if you feel more comfortable, close your eyes more, but not too tightly. If your eyes remain open, then your mind becomes clearer about the object. One should not let ones breath go out too far when one exhales nor take in the air from too far of a distance when one inhales. Furthermore, one should not let ones breathing be too short, rather one needs to allow ones mind to follow ones breath while breathing naturally, and one rests in watching ones breathing.
If one breathes smoothly, then ones mind will follow naturally and will be calm, too. In the simile, when horseback-riding and the horse jumps, ones body and mind also jump - the same with ones breathing. When the horse moves slowly and heedfully, the horseback-rider also feels at ease and his or her body and mind relax, being at one with the horse.
Just like the horseback-rider and the horse, ones breathing and mind are connected and at one. There is the Tibetan saying: After a few minutes, your mind will become distracted again. While doing breathing meditation, feel that your mind is always present. When you forget and get lost in thoughts, be aware that your mind has become distracted, and return to the practice. Whether you are engaged in daily activities like walking, sleeping, eating a delicious ice cream, or having a cup of coffee , your mind, body, and breathing are always present.
So try to watch your breathing and relax into that. Just return to being aware of your body, mind, and breathing. Another method to become aware of the inseparability of ones body and mind is to count ones breathing during formal practice, in which case exhalation and inhalation are counted as one. There is no limit, but 21 times is recommended for beginners. If, for instance, you are able to be aware of your breathing until you count to 10, become distracted, and lose track, then repeat the exercise from the beginning until you manage to count 21 in breaths and out-breaths without becoming lost.
If you become a little mixed up while counting, start anew, from the beginning.
Monday, August 31, 2009
This is a truly good practice to develop mindfulness and awareness. You become more stable and reliable through this practice. It is a little bit hard for a beginner, because they are not familiar with this practice, but it is done in order to train and balance ones body and mind and as a result to become peaceful. Our mind is seldom calm and at ease. Instead, one is able to hold ones mind one-pointedly, which means that ones meditation has progressed very well. When you see which practice benefits you most, you continue with that practice.
Rather, it is the practice of looking directly at any thought that arises. Whatever thought arises while practicing meditation, whether a good thought or a bad thought, one practices recognizing it clearly. The moment a thought arises, one is aware that a thought has arisen and realizes that every thought is an appearance of ones own mind. Whether a thought about white, blue, yellow, a dream-house, a BMW, or a Mercedes arises in ones mind, all these thoughts are appearances of ones own mind.
If all thoughts that arise in ones mind are the appearance of the mind, then what is the mind? It was, is, and always will be luminous knowing, also referred to as the ever-present, changeless, true nature of ones mind or Buddha nature. Irrelevant of the quality of the thoughts that one has, they are all appearances of the mind.
Not holding on and clinging to appearances, i. One should continue meditating with diligence and not despair or become lazy. If you realize the Dharmakaya, then you are not in need of another view. In the first simile, Milarepa taught his disciples to be open like a little child that has just entered a temple. A little child sees everything clearly when it enters a temple, but the child has no thoughts about the objects it perceives, like a Buddha statue, or about red, green, and blue colours.
Instead, the child allows its perception of appearances to just be. If you can be like a child entering a temple, then any thought that arises becomes a support for your meditation, because you do not grasp and are not attached to it. I want to buy one that looks just like that. Wow, what a nice meditation room. If we are able to let a thought be and to just see that it comes and goes, then we are progressing in our practice.
Likewise, when thoughts are recognized to be a feature of the mind that is like the ocean, one lets one thought come and go, and then one lets the next thought come and go, and so on. Without needing to struggle, one just looks at the heavy or light raindrops that are like ones thoughts fall on the vast ocean that is like ones mind and watches them mix and mingle, the one not harming or impeding the other. One becomes familiar with this experience through meditation practice - slowly, slowly, slowly — and eventually one becomes like a little child entering a temple.
The second simile in the meditation instruction that Milarepa composed is: The five practices are very important in Mahamudra. Let us meditate together for a short while and look directly at any thought that arises.
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If no thought arises, then create lots of thoughts and look at them. You can use any of the five examples that Milarepa presented in order to learn to balance your mind and thoughts and to relax in that. You can go through each practice and use one simile, for example, meditate being like a child entering a temple for a few days and the following days practice how it feels to be like an ocean without waves. May precious bodhicitta be born in those in whom it has not arisen. Having arisen, may it not degenerate, and may it continue to develop more and more.
I question the words used in translation Zhen log gom gyi kang par sung pa zhin - you have revulsion is the foot of meditation - I have in my practice book - Detachment is the foot of meditation as it is taught!! Monday, August 31, Dorje Chang Thungma. Newer Post Older Post Home.
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