Archive Result

Sound file: 20080605GRJHNLEWC (09)

Speaker: Gelek Rimpoche

Location: Netherlands

Topic: Engaging Wisdom and Compassion

Section:

Transcriber: Jayapushpa

Date:17th July 2021

(His Holiness teaching…) (Thupten Jinpa: So, the title of the text…)

His Holiness was saying that commentary to the …commentary to bodhimind, or awakened mind, is actually coming, is commenting on Guhyasamaja Tantra. Guhyasamaja Tantra, chapter Two. In the Guhyasamaja Tantra , chapter two, they are talking about it Clear Light. Clear Light according to the Vajrayana system, Clear Light. So, the mind that perceives Clear Light. Clear Light as object and the mind that perceives Clear Light is the observer mind, is the mind of the bodhimind. So, that’s where…When you say ‘commentary’, the book itself called ‘commentary’. Commentary what they say ‘Bodhicitta brahmavana’, bodhicitta, ‘bodhimind’, and commentary. Commentary…you have to comment on something. And what is commenting is on that verse in the second chapter of Guhyasamaja, explaining the Clear Light, of the Vajrayana. Explaining Clear Light. And who observe the Clear Light? Clear Light as object to be observed. The observer is the bodhimind. So, that’s coming out of that. And what that does tell us? That tells us our practice really, or not even ultimately, straightforwardly, is nothing but Vajrayana. It has to be. There is no other way. Has to be Vajrayana. That is very important. Wherever you go like almost the ultimate sutra, is bodhimind. And this is commentary on one verse, out of second chapter of Guhyasamaja Tantra, root tantra Guhyasamaja. So really tells us, the tibetan Buddhism , whatever it is coming from, why it is so special, why it is so great, why it is more superior than any other tradition. Not only other traditions but even among the Buddhist, why it is so special. That is because Vajrayana. You know we do sometimes we think, ‘Well, I am not ready for Vajrayana, but I am okay for sutra. I am okay for tantra’. It is total bullshit. The day when you step into tibetan Buddhism, you put your foot in the Vajrayana. Honestly. Whether it is good or bad, you have put your foot in cow dung, so whether it is going to stick or going to smell it, and is going to have benefit, and it is going to have disadvantage, all is within that. 0:05:57.3

I don’t know what is happening in Europe, I have no idea. But when you look in United States, whenever you look, I mean now the spiritual field, people will look tibetan Buddhism as superior. Always you see that. Of course the conservative Christians never like that, you know; never going to like that. But they always object that. And that’s the evil of evil or something. But whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. But when you look at open mind people, they will look at tibetan Buddhism as superior. You look in the scientific field, they will look at tibetan Buddhism as superior. When you look any where else, they will somehow…otherwise Tibet has nothing. Tibet has nothing,right? The little country where country ,well is gone. And the people, what the tibetan people will have, whatever we have is only 100 000, a couple of 100 000 people. What’s that? (Audience: mental factor..) Your mental factor. Good. His mental factors, object ascertaining mental factors. (Rimpoche laughs) Thank you, anyway. So look as special, there’s nothing. Tibet. Little country. What it had is gone. It’s gone, it’s gone. It is not there. The people, Tibet, old Tibet, that left with the Dalai Lama, in 1959, this is 50 years ago. And whatever it there, is a little over 100 000 people, nothing. But it is standing out today and that’s because tibetan Buddhism. Because of the people’s sympathy, people’s kindness, is because of tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama is standing out because of the tibetan Buddhism.and so it is special, becomes special. And that ‘special’ is nothing but Vajrayana. 0:09:47.2 So, don’t be allergic or afraid of Vajrayana. So, anyway, If there is no Vajrayana, there is no tibetan Buddhism. And also the Vajrayana, not the Western understanding of the sexual oriented, not that. That’s not Vajrayana at all. Believe me, lots of people think that is Vajrayana, stupid! That’s not Vajrayana at all. The essence of Vajrayana is the bodhimind , the compassion, and wisdom. These are the two essence of Vajrayana. And better way of understanding, more specific way of perceiving development bodhimind. More special way of understanding emptiness. A, quicker; B, more profound; C, more subtle. And that is Vajrayana we are talking about it, not those other things. Not the fearfulness, nor the sexual union. They are not; that’s not the essence of Vajrayana at all. Neither the mantra either. The mantra could be, can’t say ‘neither’, but…is not. Anyway, let’s see.

(Thupten Jinpa: two central themes of a particular citation…) (His Holiness teaching continues…)

So His Holiness saying there is no commentary teaching lineage on this. This is one of the most profound Nagarjuna’s text, both relative and absolute text…mind, bodhimind. The text is short, extremely profound. He took this oral transmission, simple oral transmission from Changje Choje, who is a Ladhaki incarnate lama, who is at present Changje choje, who will soon be next Gaden Tripa. So, Changje Choje. So, he said ‘so I am giving teaching on this by having that oral transmission alone and on that basis I am giving that teaching’.

(His Holiness teaching…)

The root text of this, the Guhyasamaja Tantra, which is of course from Buddha Vajradhara onwards….Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, etc and in Tibet, by Longo Lotsawa, is the basic base commentary and explanation is from Marpa Lotsawa. So that commentary which we comment on this one, that has explanation teaching lineage available. 0:18:32.7

(His Holiness continues…)

The verses Guhyasamaja Tantra, there are four lines. First line, objects….you know when you talk about emptiness, you talk about two emptiness. Emptiness on beings, living beings and emptiness on phenomena. So, the first line explains the emptiness on living beings, second line explains on emptiness of phenomena, and third line explains the wrong perception of emptiness, and finally the fourth line presents the actual Clear Light, the absorbing mind, the compassionate nature of the mind, which is observing the wisdom emptiness. So these four lines gives…actually does two things; 1, Clear the wrong explanations, wrong understandings, and 2, established the ultimate Nagarjuna’s viewpoint of emptiness. 0:22:29.8

On this, I emphasize you should listen to Thupten Jinpa’s translation, maybe not today but later. Because this is ….that will be helpful. Even though it is a little sophisticated and tough. Even though it goes over your head so many times, but…Because Thupten Jinpa translated that so many times, probably it is five hundred times he is doing it, so.. and also he originally he translated. So it will be much good. So really just four lines explained whole different view point of emptiness completely. Anyway, let’s go to next one.

(His Holiness teaching…)

Now taking the bodhimind, when you are taking the bodhimind, when you read it, and you have the word like, ‘those who are not liberated , I shall liberate; those who are not freed, I shall free, and those who have not obtained total liberation, I shall liberate’. And he was telling when the first one, ‘those who are not liberated, I shall liberate’, is talking about out of three sufferings, the suffering suffering part of it. And that is, from the liberation point of view. But way and how you liberating from the path and the yana, the vehicle point of view, these are what we called it ‘ordinary gods and human beings path’. That is first. 0:31:13.7

This is what we are talking about it, those of you who have Vajrayana practice, sometimes you have in your sadhana, you have taken the vows. Within the vows, you find those words…. Of the bodhimind vow. So suffering suffering, liberation from suffering suffering, is not only Buddhist but even non Buddhist. Out of even non Buddhist, even those lowest school, even have all that. And that is what first one. That’s why called it ‘yana of god and human’. Then, Vajra wanam dag gyi drel. Then next is, next word. The first is Vajra wanam dag gyi drel. …those not liberated, I shall liberate. Those who are not yet liberated, I shall liberate. The second word comes out, it is more than …you know that, changing suffering. Changing suffering, which another words is free from not just lower realms alone, but sufferings even in the higher realms too. And uma those who cannot breathe, I shall breathe them . And that referring to from obstacle what you going to clear, not only samsara in general, even nirvana. And then say the, ‘I put everyone in total liberation’ is now we are talking about the ultimate primordial mental origination of emptiness. 0:35:24.6 Will lead to total enlightenment. The enlightenment of Buddha. So, he said that ‘you may be able to explain that way’. Okay, is there any more?

(His Holiness continues…)

One of Nagarjuna’s disciple, Nagabodhi, has said…His Holiness is quoting, (Rimpoche quoted in tibetan). Nagabodhi is saying, the gross dissolving, ultimately brings the most subtle …I probably say ‘primordial’ but thupten Jinpa might not be using…I didn’t remember what he used at that time….we can listen now, but…So, three appearance will ultimately deliver the goods. That is roughly speaking about Nagabodhi. And explaining Nagabodhi’s these three words , is by the Amdo teacher, Kungi Jamyang Sherpa(?) the founder of the treatise of Gomang. So Jamyang Sherpa explains that, important object to be observed, important mind who are observing the subtle observer, and ultimately very subtle development. So which we have to explained completely different way, which means no matter whatever the perfections we explained in the sutra aspects of it, like the gone beyond paramita of generosity, so on and forth….all these paramitas, no matter whatever you explain, they will not the subtle obstacles at all. So all the subtle obstacles has to be cleared, by three appearance. That is appearance…remember in the Vajrayana we talked to you appearance of whitish, and then reddish and then the darkness. We give you that at the time of the death, the dying process. At the time of the dying process, when you listen , it looks like when you are dying, you will have those feelings. But what really happening is, when you are dying with your ordinary perception, and then it is not dying of the separation of the mind and body, but mind is losing the ordinary perception during that death, and you have those appearance of emptiness even become much more subtle, and saying Nagabodhi, Nagarjuna’s disciple, saying ’And when you have those, there is no doubt, you will be liberated’. 0:44:45.8

And those of you who are deeply interested, I recommend to listen to this translation, at least thirty times. So, then there you get it. And I guess we probably has to stop here because it is lunch time; we have other schedules too. 0:46:33.5