Complete Instructions on the Preliminary Practices

What are the Particular Characteristics of having Faith?

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

 

When one has faith, one is like a fertile field, in which the shoot of bodhichitta will sprout and grow. Faith is like a great ship crossing the river of cyclic existence. It is like a reliable escort protecting us from our enemies, the afflictive emotions. Like a good mount taking us to the land of liberation. Like a wish-fulfilling jewel accomplishing everything we desire. Like a mighty hero annihilating all that is nonvirtuous. Faith is thus a sublime quality, and for this reason it is the first of the seven noble riches. People who have faith are especially exalted, and yet they are extremely rare, as the Sutra of the Precious Lamp points out: Faith gives birth to delight in the Buddha’s teaching, Faith points the way to the city of happiness and excellence. Faith banishes lack of opportunity, it is the best of all freedoms. Faith turns one from the path of the demons, Faith is what makes one attain Buddhahood. Among the hosts of ordinary beings, Rare are those who have such faith in the Dharma.

𝘈 𝘛𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮: 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘌𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘪 𝘉𝘺 𝘋𝘶𝘥𝘫𝘰𝘮 𝘙𝘪𝘯𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘦; 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱

 

Patience in Happily Accepting Suffering

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

However much you suffer in the physical, verbal, and mental hardships that you undergo for the sake of accomplishing enlightenment through the Dharma, apply yourself joyfully and enthusiastically without losing interest. Just as it is necessary to employ drastic treatments to reduce the suffering in serious illnesses, one needs enormous courage to stop the battle of cyclic existence and conquer the enemies that are the afflictive emotions.

— A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom: Complete Instructions on the Preliminary Practices by Dudjom Rinpoche, Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje

Guru Yoga, a method of receiving direct blessing from the Guru’s Mind

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

“Whether our teachers present in person are ordinary beings or emanations of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, if we are able to pray to them considering them as the Buddha, there is absolutely no difference between them and the Buddha or Bodhisattva or yidam deity in person, because the source of blessings is devotion. So whichever profound practice we are undertaking, whether the generation phase or the perfection phase, we should begin by making the teacher’s blessings the path. There is no more to it than that. But as long as we have not received the blessings, we will not be genuinely on the path. It is said that if disciples who keep the commitments give themselves wholeheartedly, with devotion, to an authentic diamond master, they will obtain the supreme and common accomplishments even if they have no other methods. But without devotion to the teacher, even if we complete the approach and accomplishment practices of the yidams of the six tantra sections, we will never obtain the supreme accomplishment. And we will be unlikely to accomplish many of the ordinary accomplishments either, such as those of long life, wealth, or bringing beings under one’s power. Even if we do manage to achieve a little, it will have necessitated a lot of hardship and will have nothing to do with the profound path. When unmistaken devotion takes birth in us, obstacles on the path will be dispelled and we will make progress, obtaining all the supreme and ordinary accomplishments without depending on anything else. This is what we mean by the profound path of Guru Yoga.”

— A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom: Complete Instructions on the Preliminary Practices
by Dudjom Rinpoche, Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje

“Your faith magnetized the blessings of Guru Rinpoche’s pure wisdom and compassion toward you.  It is the opening and softening of the heart. Without  faith, your heart can be closed and hard like stone. If your mind is open and devotional, you can receive the Guru’s blessings like rain falling onto the soft ground. Rain never chooses where it will fall, yet wherever it touches receptive ground, it is absorbed.  However, not even one drop will penetrate stone. Everything grows  from the earth but nothing grows from rock. The same is true of our mind. Qualities grow from a mind that is soft like the earth, but will never grow from a mind tat is hard and impenetrable like stone. With devotion, Guru Rinpoche’s blessings will dissolve directly into your heart, like the rain in into the earth. All qualities of wisdom will grow from this mixing of the Guru’s mind with your own mind….”  Continue reading page 39 of  “A Commentary of the Dudjom Tersar Ngondro” by Lama Tharchin Rinpoche

Lama Sonam Rinpoche ~ Teaching:  Guru Yoga 1  at Pema Osel Ling 2016 ~ 1hr 12 min
How to do the Guru Yoga Practice and how to receive the Four Empowerments.