Shambhala Publishing

The Three Supreme Methods

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

Whatever practices we do, whether the common ones of taking refuge and making prostrations, the various trainings in bodhichitta, the methods for purifying the defilements of body and speech, or the uncommon practices of the Secret Mantra (the visualization and recitation of Vajrasattva, guru yoga, or meditation on the yidam deity), all that we do—and this is very important—should be accompanied by the three “supreme methods.”

The first of these methods is the attitude of bodhichitta. All beings possess the tathagatagarbha, the seed of Buddhahood, but this is obscured and veiled. As a result, they wander in samsara. The first method is therefore to be determined to liberate them from this ocean of suffering. The second supreme method is to have a mind free from conceptualization, which means to practice without distraction. Even if we make only a single prostration, we should not just go through the motions mechanically, with our thoughts and words elsewhere. On the contrary, we should practice with a concentrated mind, and never be carried away by distraction. The third supreme method is to conclude with dedication. Whatever merit has been generated must be dedicated for the sake of beings, who are as many as the sky is vast. In fact, if we forget to round off our practice with the excellent attitude of bodhichitta, dedicating the merit to others, this merit could be destroyed in a moment of strong anger or defilement. For this reason, all positive actions should immediately be followed by an act of dedication for the welfare of all beings. The benefits of this supreme method are immense; dedication renders merit inexhaustible and causes it to increase constantly.

What is the sign that someone has received the teachings of the supreme Dharma and is practicing them? Whoever has heard and absorbed the teachings becomes serene and self-possessed. Ours is not a tradition that inculcates anger and encourages us to fight; it does not encourage us to get involved with our defiled emotions. On the contrary, the Buddha has taught us to get rid of our defilements as much as possible. The point is that having received the Dharma teachings, we should find when we examine ourselves, that, even though we may not have been able to eradicate our defilements totally, our anger has at least diminished a little. We should find that, even if we do get angry, we are less involved and are able to keep ourselves in check. This is the sort of sign we should be looking for. The sign that we are assimilating the teachings is an increase in serenity and self-control. It is said that if practitioners do not examine themselves frequently, and if they fail to practice correctly, the Dharma itself will lead them to the lower realms. Some people claim to have received the teachings, but they don’t practice them. On the other hand, it is obviously impossible to eradicate defiled emotion just by listening to the teachings. We have been in samsara from beginningless time and are immersed in the habits of defilement. These cannot be whisked away by the mere act of listening to something. So, turn inward and examine your minds. You should at least have a glimmer of understanding!

In addition, we have all entered the Vajrayana. We have received profound empowerments and instructions of the Secret Mantra. This is said to be very beneficial, but it is also very dangerous. Even if we are unable to bring our practice to accomplishment, if we keep our samaya unbroken, it is said that liberation will be achieved in seven lifetimes. After crossing the threshold of the Secret Mantra, however, if we ruin our samaya by displeasing the Lama, causing havoc among our fellow Dharma practitioners and so on, the only possible destiny for us is the vajra hell. The saying goes that practitioners of Secret Mantra either attain Buddhahood or go to hell. There is no third alternative. It’s like a snake inside a cane: it must go either up or down. There’s no way out halfway! Think carefully about the benefits and hazards of samaya and observe it purely and perfectly. To do this, it is crucial to keep a close watch on your mind, a practice in which all the essential points of the teachings are condensed. It is vital to examine and watch your mind. You have all received instructions through the kindness of your teachers. This is what your Dharma practice should be like.

Counsels from My Heart
Translated by Padmakara Translation Group
Shambhala Publishing

The Benefits of Bodhichitta

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

There are seven benefits: its superiority over other virtues, the fact that it is the root of the whole Dharma, the fact that it increases one’s merit, its vast qualities, and the facts that one becomes an object of the world’s reverence, that everything one undertakes is meaningful, and that all those with whom one is connected are linked to liberation.

1. The benefit that bodhichitta is oustandingly greater than other forms of virtue From the very moment we arouse bodhichitta, even the most terrible negative actions are instantly destroyed. No other positive act is as powerful as this, for as The Way of the Bodhisattva points out, Virtue, thus, is weak; and always Evil is of great and overwhelming strength. Except for perfect bodhichitta, What other virtue is there that can outshine it?

2. The benefit that it is the root of Dharma Bodhichitta is the seed of everything that is excellent. Even while one is circling in existence, it will result in much happiness; and it is the sole cause of nirvana, supreme enlightenment. We can read in the Sutra Requested by Brahma: Brahma, because the superior motivation, bodhichitta, is the root of the whole Dharma, it is like a seed. Why is this? Just as from a seed there comes the shoot, the leaves, the flowers, and the fruit, from the superior motivation there comes the experience of much happiness among gods and humans and, furthermore, the attainment of omniscience.

3. The benefit that one’s merit grows ever greater For those who have aroused bodhichitta and not let it degenerate, not only are wisdom and skillful means combined during formal meditation, when they are in a state of no-thought, but even in ordinary situations in which they are not thinking—when they are asleep or unconscious, for example—an unbroken stream of merit arises. We are not talking here about a source of good consistent with ordinary merit which, like the plantain tree, bears fruit once and then is spent, but rather of merit that produces the fruit of happiness until the essence of enlightenment is reached: it is inexhaustible, growing more and more, like a great wish-fulfilling tree. The Way of the Bodhisattva describes it thus: For when, with irreversible intent, The mind embraces bodhichitta, Willing to set free the endless multitudes of beings, At that instant, from that moment on, A great and unremitting stream, A strength of wholesome merit, Even during sleep and inattention, Rises equal to the vastness of the sky. and, All other virtues, like the plantain tree, Produce their fruit, but then their force is spent. Alone the marvelous tree of bodhichitta Constantly bears fruit and grows unceasingly.

4. The benefit that one has immeasurable qualities Arousing bodhichitta results in an immense profusion of excellent qualities, among them, holding the infinite teachings of the Buddhas, understanding numerous teachings, and being blessed by the Buddhas. And it is a supreme offering to the Buddhas. The Sutra of the Inconceivable Secrets says: If the merit of bodhichitta Were to take form It would fill the whole of space, And still there would be more. And in the Sutra of the Arborescent Array we read: In short, there is as much excellence and abundance of good qualities in arousing bodhichitta as all the excellence that the Victorious, Virtuous, Transcendent Buddhas possess: it is as vast as the firmament, as vast as the absolute space.

5. The benefit that one becomes an object of the world’s reverence Someone who possesses bodhichitta becomes an object of great reverence by the whole world, including the gods, as The Way of the Bodhisattva shows: Should bodhichitta come to birth In those who suffer, chained in prisons of samsara, In that instant they are called the children of the Blissful One, Revered by all the world, by gods and humankind.

6. The benefit that everything one undertakes is meaningful Everything someone who possesses bodhichitta does, whether neutral or positive, becomes a source of good consistent with liberation, for even if the act is not backed by the actual thought of bodhichitta at the time, once one has taken the vow of bodhichitta, provided one has not degenerated it, all one’s actions are permeated by bodhichitta. Everything such a person undertakes, therefore, is bound, ultimately, to be beneficial. We can read in the Sutra of the Arborescent Array: Child of good family, everything that someone who has aroused the supreme bodhichitta undertakes with his body, speech, and mind has meaning: it has a single flavor in that it is always and exclusively positive.

7. The benefit that all those with whom one is connected are linked to liberation Because Bodhisattvas are such important “fields,” people who, from lack of faith, get angry with them and do them harm will have to experience the lower realms, at least temporarily. But despite this, in the end, because of those Bodhisattvas’ compassion, they will definitely reach the end of cyclic existence and be liberated. As for those who do have faith in them, their merit will grow more and more powerful, and they will thereby swiftly attain enlightenment.

The Pagoda of Precious Jewels states:

Even those who do evil to a Bodhisattva, resulting in their going to the lower realms, will subsequently, because of that Bodhisattva’s great efforts, find freedom and be set in unsurpassable enlightenment.

And The Way of the Bodhisattva says:

I go for refuge to those springs of happiness Who bring their very enemies to perfect bliss.

To sum up, in the forty-fourth chapter of the Sutra of the Arborescent Array we find a description of how boundless the merit and other benefits of bodhichitta are. Having taken the vow of bodhichitta from Mañjushri, Sudhana wished to request the precepts, and in order to do so travelled south. He arrived in a southern land on the shores of the ocean, at the palace called “Endowed with the Essence Ornamented by Vairochana,” in which Maitreya was teaching the Dharma to a following of many hundreds of thousands of Bodhisattvas. Seeing him from a distance of five hundred leagues, Sudhana felt raptures of joy and prostrated to him. When Maitreya saw him, he placed his right hand on Sudhana’s head and delightedly sang his praises to the assembled Bodhisattvas: “Look, at Sudhana, he of pure intent, Born of enduring riches, Seeking the practice of supreme enlightenment, He has come before me, the wise one.” and, “Have you travelled well, you in whom compassion and love have arisen? Have you come to the vast mandala of Maitreya? Have you travelled well, you the sight of whom brings perfect peace? Have you not tired of performing the deeds of a Bodhisattva?” and so on.

Thereupon, Sudhana, with his hands folded, said to him: “Noble One, now that I am fully engaged in unsurpassable enlightenment, I beg you, since I do not know, to show me how to wholeheartedly undertake the activities of a Bodhisattva.”

To this Maitreya replied: “Fortunate child, you have been guided by a spiritual friend. Why is this? Fortunate child, bodhichitta is like the seed of all the Buddha’s teachings. In making everything that is virtuous in all beings grow, it is like a field. In consuming everything that is evil, it is like the fire at the end of the kalpa. In bringing to exhaustion all negative actions, it is like the underworld. In fulfilling all wishes, it is like the king of wish-fulfilling jewels. In drawing beings out of the river of cyclic existence, it is like a hook. It is like an offering tree in the world of gods, humankind, and demigods. It fulfills all aspirations, like the bounteous vase.”

And having actually described almost two hundred and fifty benefits, ending with the similes of elixirs and jewels, he concluded,

“Thus, bodhichitta possesses these and infinite other benefits.” For a detailed account you should consult the sutra itself.

A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom
Dudjom Rinpoche Jigdral Yeshe Dorje
Padmakara Translatino Group
Shambhala Publishing

 

Impermanence

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

As the root verses read: Whoever is born possesses the phenomena of impermanence and death. Thus, wherever one goes, wherever one is born, then from birth, without depending on measuring by the numbers of more or less beings, impermanence is the conditional phenomenon of death. As the Great Pandit, Ashvaghosha, said:

Whether on earth or else in the heavens,
Once born, was there ever anyone who did not die?
Did you ever see anyone?
Did you ever hear of anyone, or did you have any doubt?

Thus, as said, here in this universe, has one ever heard of any being who never died and is still living at this time? Did anyone ever see any such being with their eyes, or ever hear about them, or have any doubt? There is no escape from death, so therefore, such decisive questions are asked by the learned one. However one thinks, whether considering the outer container of the universe or the inner essence of beings, it is all conditional phenomena that is destructible. From The King of Samadhi Sutra:

When this world of cyclic existence occurs,
By occurring, it diminishes and nothing is left.
Likewise, as it was before, the future will be like that.

Thus it is said.
Although thinking it is true that taking birth leads to death, one might still speculate, according to the strength or weakness of one’s health and whether one is old or young, that one is young and healthy, and for this reason may assume that one will continue to live for a while. It is impossible to predict that. As it says in The Voice of My Root Guru, the Emanation of Samantabhadra: 

Some infants still crawling meet with death. Some youths meet with death. For some, death comes when they are old, frail, and decrepit. Others may not even have the opportunity to take medicine or to try to protect themselves from sudden, untimely death. Some are ailing for so long that their bodies are stuck to the bedsheets while their dead eyes continue to gaze longingly at the living, with only skin covering their bones, and then they die. Some suddenly die of a stroke without even finishing their meal, conversation, or work. There are even those who die by suicide. There are many conditions for death. The power of life is weak in comparison, like a butter lamp in a windstorm. Even today at this very moment, death could suddenly occur, so that by this time tomorrow, rebirth as an animal with horns or a beak could have already happened. The time of death is extremely uncertain, and so is the future place of rebirth. It is important to be concerned about this.

Since the circumstances of death are so uncertain, it is important to have confidence in the immeasurable teachings that are given. As it says in The Speech on Impermanence: 

For all who are born,
Death is staying before them.
Since even I have not transcended that, Dharma must be practiced from today.

Thus it is said, and, from The Sutra of Parinirvana:

For whoever harvests fields, the best is to have found a field with crops. Among all impressions, the best is the perception of impermanence and death. Why? Because the perception of the three realms will be diminished.

Thus it is said. Then, in this case, the meaning of reversing the mind that identifies with the three realms is as follows. According to the Hinayana vehicle, knowing the passions and their karma are exhausted so there is no cause to be born again is the attainment of the Arhat state. According to the great vehicles of cause and result, the mind of the desire realm is exhausted in the wisdom mind of Nirmanakaya, the all-encompassing compassion of empty bliss. The mind of the form realm is exhausted in the wisdom mind of Sambhogakaya, the spontaneous presence of empty radiance. The mind of the formless realm is exhausted in the sphere of the wisdom mind of the empty awareness of Dharmakaya. In this way, the sublime permanent state of deathlessness places one in the state of the Victorious Ones of the Three Kayas. The meaning of this is in The Sutra of Revealing the Three Kayas:

Dharmakaya is the permanence of the essential nature as it is.
Sambhogakaya is constant permanence.
Nirmanakaya is uninterrupted permanence.

Thus it is said. Also, in the Uttara Tantra, it says:

The lord of Dharma annihilates the demon of death,
And since this is unborn, it is the permanent protector of the world.

Then, from Uma ]ukpa:

Body of peace, the wish-granting tree, ever radiant,
Like a wish-fulfilling jewel with no conception,
Permanently endures in this world until all beings are liberated.

Thus, Dharmakaya and Sambhogakaya are permanent. Nirmanakaya is both pure and impure, according to the purity or impurity of the vessels of water of various beings’ capacities, which reflect clearly or unclearly the image of the moon that appears in the sky. Just as the actual moon does not really enter the water to become self-characterized within water, the nature of phenomena is likewise beyond the nature of permanence and impermanence, and so is called the permanence of the uninterrupted continuity of Nirmanakaya. Therefore, since the result of meditating on impermanence is the attainment of the deathless, permanent, sublime state of the Victorious Ones of the Three Kayas, be diligent

A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar, Pgs 39-42
by Thinley Norbu
Shambhala Publishing