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Soundfile 20140217GRAAMH07

Speaker Gelek Rimpoche

Location Ann Arbor

Topic Mahamudra 07

Transcriber Helen Breault

Date March , 2014

[Prayers to 15:50]

Rimpoche:Well, before I go and continue the teaching. Questions you have?

Amy: Yeah. But only two.

Rimpoche: Only two? That’s nice. But not complicated?

Amy: Well not complicated. But I’m not sure. I won’t know until I ask them.

Okay. This is from a participant in a group who wants to know your thoughts…

Rimpoche: What do you mean “a participant”?

Amy: Well, it’s one member I’m reading from the way it was written. One member wants to know, “Rimpoche, I watch the Olympics and I am awed by the athletes’ abilities. I could never imagine being able to do what they do. Similarly, I feel that my ability to achieve enlightenment is as far away as my ability to compete in the Olympics. Is this a correct idea?”

Rimpoche: Good luck. [laughter] This is a funny thing, huh. Sometimes you think, you know, it’s not possible. Not possible for me. But when the condition’s right, when the time’s right, it’s just possible. It happens so… There are a number of historical things, as well as teachings would say, although you think it’s never going to happen, but it will happen. Though, and also many people used to think, “Oh, that will never happen. It will never happen to me.” And then many people now may be thinking, “It may be possible.” So, it’s sort of, you know, it is possible. It moves. It really changes.

Amy: The next question is, “You talked about the blessing being the soul of the practice.”

Rimpoche: That particularly this case, yes. Not all blessings.

Amy: But what is the blessing itself? Is it the correct view of reality?

Rimpoche: No. No. This will be during the guru yoga period, probably tomorrow morning or something, you know.

[19:20] [How is the weather situation today? etc…]

[21:25]

Now the purification, actually I noticed that commentaries differ. Like the First Panchen Lama’s commentary, where I read the oral transmission This is where I first originally took teaching on basis. And that is divided this purification and, anyway, I thought there’s something slightly different. [22:00 Tib] Ok. Oh, what happened to the Mandala? That’s right, this is slightly different. After the refuge and generating boddhimind, and then the purification…

[23:35] This particular one [Tib]…Okay this one does the mandala offering later. Okay.

Now anyway, next is Vajrasattva recitation for purification. A number of people may think, “Yes, Vajrasattva recitation is something to do with vajrayana.” Which is very true, it is something to do vajrayana. But, somehow the Tibetan Buddhism is such, it is Vajrayana-influenced and Vajrayana effects everywhere. So, if you really have to make a separation, it is really very difficult. There’s very much influenced. So like purification, Vajrasattva recitation comes openly here so everybody can do it. I like to say it is important for developing spiritual development. Purification becomes not only important, but also a pivotal aspects of it, pivotal part of a practice. And it is two things: accumulation of merit and purification of negativities. These are the two major activities that we engage, whether it is in Theravaden, whether it is Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana, whatever. And there there are a number of different ways of purification. And particularly, certain segment, purification becomes a little hardship. It becomes not only a discipline, but a little hardship discipline.

[26:47] Anyway, so the Vajrayana influence makes it much, much easier, much much easier. So anyway, Vajrasattva. Why you need purifying, because purification makes pure. What makes pure? Broken commitments and broken vows. So we somehow have taken tremendous amount of vows, including Refuge Vows. So not that many people pay attention. They say, “I took Refuge,” they say. But what they mean is they took Refuge Vows. Refuge vow has its own commitments. So everything has its own commitments. So that’s purifying those vows becomes important, because broken vow is not so bad. But broken commitment really blocks any development at all, big or small. So that’s why purification is absolutely necessary.

In order to purify, it is important to recognize our commitments, vows, and then have an awareness, alertness, and maintaining its own boundaries. But no matter how much, or how hard work we do, how much awareness we pay, whatever we do, but there are so many downfalls we get. So then what else can you do? All these downfalls. All these broken vows. So the Buddha has given a number of Vajrayana, a number of activities. Vajrasattva recitation is one thing. Similar to Vajrasattva recitation there’s something called Vajra Commitment recitation. THere’s something called little Fire Offering for the Burning Dakini, fire offering. And there’s 35 Buddha purification which many of us will do occasionally. There’s also purification done through Torma offerings. And of course, most important, through Mandala practice. Because every Mandala, taking self-initiation is overall the most important purification. And if you’re new, not only you’re entering in the Vajrayana, or you’re already within the Vajrayana, it is purification. Nothing better than that. So through Mandala. So there’s so many. Each one of them are important.

And during the practice of the earlier Tibetan masters, particularly through this lineage, the practice has been the Vajrasattava recitation. Not only the Vajrasattva recitation

[31:44:7] is, but almost everywhere. Those of us who say sadhanas, whether you’re looking at Yamantaka sadhana, there is Vajrasattva recitation. If you’re looking at the Vajrayogini, Heruka, Chakmasambara, or any one of those Harigirha, Hevajra, any one of those we are looking and there is Vajrasattva recitation. And there is a little bit of Vajrasattva everywhere, part of it. And not an actual practice, but it comes as a part of it. As you know.

So where does the Vajrasattva comes from? I don’t know if this is necessary or not, but one of the Buddha’s texts called “Essence of Ornaments.” Essence of Ornaments says: sangye [Tib 33:01 to 33:30] So anyway, what did this Buddha said, is the essence of all this wisdom of the Buddha together and appeared as physical condition of physical form of Vajrasattva with the hundred syllable mantra. If you recite this twenty-one times it at least discontinued the increasing of downfalls, broken commitments in double. This is, I don’t know why, if we break one commitment, and if you did not purify, and that will be increasing a double-fault every twenty-four hours.

So that’s why it becomes funny. And that not only here, but even in the normal Sutra. Normal Sutrayana, they say that same thing. You know remember, Nagarjuna has one verse somewhere, that’s right. That verse says [35:12 Tib]. So that says, “Intelligent persons’ negativities, even heavy it becomes light. Lesser intelligent peoples’ negativities, even light it become heavy.” And almost said, you know, if you have a little insect’s killing, let’s say, the famous Tibetan example is lice. And little lice, you get lice somewhere around here and getting them smashed in between two thumbnails. And that is commonly used in Tibet, old time. And one good thing, what the Chinese have done, there are no more lice anyway. Because the Chinese become a little more concerned. And that is the normal example. The second one is bedbugs. Bedbugs is one. And so, even a single louse, that’s single, single louse or single bedbug, single bedbug, killing can become equal or even more heavier than human being killings. Because of not purifying, not stop it. Sort of doubling.

So, anyway, Vajrasattva recitation saying twenty-one times stops that. It’s supposed to be antidote for that. So if you say 100,000 times, even root downfalls, heaviest negativities will also be purified, according to this. And that’s why Vajrasattva is, there are a number of things, but somehow Vajrasattva is somehow customary. And particularly, this teaching and many other sadhanas, and everywhere, you have. So now, whether it is customary or whatever it is, and how does one engage in the Vajrasattva? There are little textbooks, little booklets, part of any long sadhanas, longer sadhanas, whether it is Yamantaka or Vajrayogini or whatever, there is a little Vajrasattva recitation there. You can pick that up and say it if you want to. But within the Lama Chopa, I don’t think we have a separate Vajrasattva recitation. Is there?

Audience: Yes we do.

Well, you people are started good at inserting, everything’s put in. So in English there’s everything put in. In the traditional Tibetan textbook of Lama Chopa there is no Vajrasattva recitation. But in the West people like to add in everything from anywhere. You know they’re

[40:00.7] very good at adding up the dog’s head, lion’s butt, all together on the sheep’s body or the goat’s body. And so they do. So, [laughs] might have. But other than that normally they’re not there.

But anyway you can put that. So this Mahamudra teaching here, they will talk about it, Vajrasattva recitation, there’s no text here. If you have an insertion in the Lama Chopa text of ours, then that’ll be fine. But if you’re taking that up out of Yamantaka, then there’s a Yamantaka quality in that. If it’s taking out of Vajrayogini, there’s a Vajrayogini quality of it. Which has to be emphasized, because you know one is Father Tantra the other is Mother Tantra.

The Father Tantra has its own way of developing everything. The whole thing is geared towards development of illusion body aspects of it. Mother Tantra is geared towards developing clear light. So everything, even the Guru Yoga, Vajrasattva Recitation, even Mandala Offering, everywhere it has its own little agenda put it. We use the word “geared towards.” In other words, there’s an agenda. There’s a Mother Tantra agenda. Develop clear light, so everything is shorter. Like if you look at it before the recitation of Vajrasattva, they will say, “All negativities may purify.” It just goes. But if you look at the Yamantaka, they will say, “All negativites may purify and rebuild majestic.” So it means its agenda of building illusion body was put in.[43:05.1] So every word, every label, there is its own little twist in there. So anyway, so whatever is there, they both are fine. Nothing is wrong. But individual practitioners need to know this is geared towards development of clear light. This is geared towards development of illusion body. Both are purpose is for purifying. So the purification purpose is no problem. Both will do, same thing. But one has one agenda, the other has another agenda.

[43:57.6] That is, you know.

So anyway, so what happens, always there is refuge and boddhisattva-mind generation. Not only refuge is to mark as a Buddhist practice, but taking refuge in buddha, dharma, and sangha is essence of dharma practice too. And generating boddhimind, not only marked towards being a Mahayana practice, but every good work that you do becomes good cause of developing that fully enlightened state. Otherwise, all other good works go for some other purposes, not necessarily for developing fully enlightened state. So that’s what happens.

So it is important to have refuge and boddhimind, something really your mind gets soaked in it.

Simply by word you say “take refuge in Buddha, dharma, and sangha, generosity, etc., may I obtain fully enlightened,” just on the lip-service will not do.

[45:54:2] Chris Branson has a parrot. And that parrot will also say many things, but doesn’t mean, you know. When they bite you, they bite you. But other than that, doesn’t mean, you know. So it has to be mixed and effected mind. Any practice you do, don’t do too much. Do less but make sure you get effected. Your mind gets effected. That is important.

We all try to work with the mind. We are not working with the physical, not even intellectual. To certain limit, we don’t want to be stupid, but certain limited. So make sure mentally or emotionally effected. When you say “mentally effected,” sometimes we may not think about it emotionally effected. Though a little bit of emotional effect is necessary. Whenever we say, “mixing with the mind” and sort of emotional influence is what they’re looking for.

[47:42:7] [47:58 Tibetan]

So anyway to begin here, whether you are in the form of Yidam, or even in our usual, ordinary form, this is absolutely fine. Ordinary here means you have not transformed your physical appearance in the form of Yidam. I use the word “Yidam” rather than “deity” because if you go to Southeast Asia you have so many deities on every corner of the street. So there’ll be a little deity here and little deity there. That is very different than the Yidams. Yidams are mental commitment. “Yi” “dam” so it is mental commitment. Enlightened beings appeared to you as your mental commitment. That is why word “yidam” really has its own meaning and purpose. Not only just enlightened, no only just been a Buddha, but really it is your own mental commitment. Your yidam is your yidam, nobody else’s. Honestly.

So anyway, when you’re not in the form of yidam, then you’re ordinary; ordinary in the sense, usual human being form. So on your crown, in reality it is a bliss-void combination of all enlightened beings but in the form of the letter “pam.” White one, suddenly appeared. If you want to think “P-A-M,” if you want to think them separately, that’s fine. But if you want to think them together, that’s fine.

[50:34:9] The mantra system is tried to be together. “Pam,” “om,” “hung”, all of those, becoming one is a good thing. Then now letter “Pam.” Suddenly merge that “pam” into a light, means it disappeared. Disappeared and becomes, it’s like, now we know with the computer we can do all kinds of things. That becomes this, that becomes that. No problem. So suddenly that “pam” becomes lotus cushion. Eight-petaled lotus, the root is sort of a little pinkish, and there’s one lotus image in the computer you see very often. But, you know, it’s a funny looking one. I personally don’t like that one that much. That root looks like daikon radish root or something funny looking.

[52:19:8] Anyway, eight-petaled white lotus, slightly pinkish root, along with all this stamen, which is where the little…You know one of the lilies, if you don’t pull it out it will fall. That’s stamen, okay. And white lotus with all that. And at the center of that where the stamen is, and if Vajrasattva sits cross-legged, should be able to fit. And that is the measurement. And then above that, again, wisdom of all enlightened beings in the form of letter “Ah” white, suddenly appeared. And that merged into the moon disc. This is a little complicated. If you make it short: on your crown there’s a white lotus, at the center there is moon disc, above that letter “Hung.” Maybe that’s easier. The Hung dissolves into nature of reality, which we call it “empty.” Which means you seen nothing. And then becomes five-spoked vajra standing; means vertically standing. And there’s pure, clean, clear, like crystal vajra. At the hub of that vajra letter “Hung” again. That Hung radiates light and reaches to all sentient beings. And each one of those lights reaching to each sentient being, they are Vajrasattva yab-yum to help each sentient being. So you manifest a tremendous amount of Vajrasattvas. Each one of their physical bodies giving light and nectar.

[56:57:6] Actually initiating all the sentient beings by this nectar and light.

You know the word “initiation”, what we say “initiation” is actually abisheka in Sanskrit. Abisheka really refers to the pouring of water, water purification. So somehow Vajrasattva, sort of giving a nectar, is a water purifying all sentient beings of their downfalls, negativities. And their nectars serve the purpose of purifying downfalls, obstacles, and most important purify their mindstream. And become fully enlightened Buddha, all the sentient beings.

And then they all dissolve to the vajra and become Vajrasattva. That’s one way of doing.

[59:33]

Another way is this light radiating, reaching to those who are already enlightened, making a tremendous offering, and please them. And collect their blessings and dissolving to them. Particularly when you’re making offerings you have to think, “They’re happily accepted.” And also joy that developed, uncontaminated joy that developed, satisfied object of offering. These two points are important: happily accepted; joy that developed is fully satisfactory. So that’s what you have to think.

So those number of Vajrasattvas, whether the new ones who become Vajrasattva now or fully enlightened ones, they all become and dissolve to the vajra with the letter “hung” on your crown. And then becomes true Vajrasattva, look like Vajrasattva white in color with the consort. The idea is not so big because on your head if you have a big one it’s difficult. Not so small that you can’t imagine. So it is sort of reasonably right. About, if you measure it with some kind of measurement, about four or five inches of white Vajrasattva.

[1:02:11] And that white Vajrasattva’s forehead, well this may be too detailed for you…Eight petaled chakra with the letter “om.” But I have to say it. But at least you can think, “There’s something there, there is a little “om” and at the throat red lotus with the letter “ah,” at the heart white moon disc with the letter “hung.”

Normally, you find the letter hung where there’s “om ah hung” blue. But here we do white. Simple omen’s reason [1;03;28] the “hung”, that very “hung” is actually all enlightened beings’ mind-wisdom inseparable. In order to purify my negativities, downfalls, it is a pacifying activity and that pacifying color is white. And so, there is a white mantra, white seed syllable, sometimes white over white, there’s a white moon disc, so white over white may not be so easy. If you want to make distinction, there’d be like a silver-white, mother-of-pearl-white, and they’re slightly different white, so that’s what you can utilize. Radiating light from that hung invites all the wisdom beings, dissolve to them, initiation deities invited. I’m going shorter, because those of you who know, you know. Those who are brand new ones, probably you have no idea what’s going on. But it’s okay, you can make attempt and you’ll learn it. And make offerings, initiated, dissolved, fills up the body with the nectar and also left-over mark the Akshobya Buddha. This is very Vajrayana, so you know.

And then radiating light from there, like the equivalent to any amount of living beings. Each again just like earlier. Each of the lights have a Vajrasattva for sentient beings and does the job of purifying that particular sentient beings. Radiating light, collecting blessings of ten directions buddhas and bodhisattvas, by making offerings, collecting. And also my own limitless of the beginning, til today, whatever downfalls, negativites, non-virtues, and particularly against vows of Vajrayana, Sutrayana, Self-liberation. Whatever those vows. Many of you, us, will think, “We’re not a monk, so we don’t have a problem.” But we do have a Refuge Vow, we do have Bodhisattva Vow, we do have Vajrayana Vow. So vow’s concerned we are very very good with the vows. And each vow carries a tremendous amount of commitment. Each commitment has its own broken consequences. So we are afraid of those consequences and so we rely on the Vajrasattva for the purification.

So we will call on Vajrasattva. We may even say it, [Tib. 1:08:13], meaning “Great Buddha Vajrasattva, I and mother sentient beings, all negativities, broken commitments, and everything may kindly be purified.”

And then radiating a light and nectar from the Vajrasattva’s heart, joined with the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions. And nectar coming, purifying all negativities within our body and majestically building our look also. There’s a tremendous amount of nectar coming, and each one of those letters is almost like melting. The letter is actually not melting, but so many light-nectar coming, so the example what we can think of: melting the ice. When the ice melts, it’s like water everywhere. Difference is that letter look like ice, will not be shrinking, not becoming smaller. But nectar is coming as though it has been producing water and liquid and pouring.

And then say hundred syllable mantra:

[insert mantra]

“OM VAJRASATTVA SAMAYA MANUPALAYA,

VAJRASATTVA DENOPA TITHA,

DIDO ME BHAVA,

SUTO KAYO ME BHAVA,

SUPO KAYO ME BHAVA,

ANURAKTO ME BHAVA,

SARVA SIDDHI ME PRAYATSA,

SARVA KARMA SU TSAME,

TSITTAM SHRIYAM KURU HUM,

HA HA HA HA HO,

BHAGAVAN SARVA TATHAGATA,

VAJRA MAME MUNTSA,

VAJRA BHAVA MAHA SAMAYA SATTVA AH HUM PHET”

So whatever you can, 100,000. But twenty-one makes the negativities does not multiply. And then that’s what you say and what you visualize. From the body of the Vajrasattva, in general, particularly from the mantra small letter “hung” a lot of white nectar coming.

[1:11;52]

And all of them are actually reaching to you from the lower part, because Vajrasattva’s up here [demonstrates], from the lower part of Vajrasattva’s body, particularly when you have a consort, Vajrasattva with the consort, where they’re joining of two sex organs, from that level a lot of letters coming. Coming through without any block by the lotus cushion or anything. It’s like if you have a liquid butter coming through cheese cloth, so there’ll be no problem. It goes through, right? So in that manner, it comes through the lotus cushion. And reach to you.

Just now there are three different ways of visualizing that. One going down, taking negativities up, and overflowing from the upper part of your nostril and ear, etc., and even flow over and all that; that’s one thing. And pushing down, purifying it down, almost like negatives are pushed down, positives are coming. Sometimes you have salad dressing where you see the oil on top, and thing down, in that manner it’s pushing down.

But most recommended one, this one, Gelwa Ensapa’s, Ensapa’s extraordinary one here: When the light and nectar comes from the Vajrasattva, it’s like sunshine in the darkness of your body. And the sunshine clears the darkness of negativity that we have committed. The limitless of the beginning, along with its imprint and capability and regrowing, regrouping, all of them are just like when the sun shines, darkness disappeared. In that manner, everything disappeared, just by the sunshine of the Vajrasattva’s body and mantra. And light and nectar, all but, not necessarily washing, it’s like sunshine.

[1:57:27] It clears all the darkness. Your physical body becomes pure, light nature. And this is considered very important. More important than anything else. And there are other reasons too, which I might not be mentioning here.

So then of course you need not only regret of negativities, but also repentance. That’s what very strongly request to Vajrasattva and that’s what you do. And way and how you request Vajrasattva [1:16:23 Tib]. There’s a word there. So I’ve been controlled by the ignorance and negativity, particularly by ego-grasping ignorance and that made me to break all these commitments. You’re blaming on, you know, you had to have a kitchen towel to wipe your hands. So we wipe all our hands on that ego thing. So then now I seek your protection, your guidance, so please help me and protect.

Again Vajrasattva is no other than your own root master, your own guru. Your own guru inseparable that of Vajrasattva and Vajrasattva oneness. Then all the buddhas and bodhisattvas come, dissolving to the Vajrasattva. Vajrasattva tells you, “Hey, your negativities, your broken commitments, are all purified.” And you have to think Vajrasattva said that. You have to think you’re pure for a minute. That is very important. It’s not cheating yourself. But you have to tell yourself, “I’m pure now.” And then Vajrasattva dissolve from your crown, enter through your heart, and remaining inseparable that of your consciousness and energy.

Okay so that should be enough. But always, every purification has to have four powers. The four powers are all here, completed.

[1:19:08].

Okay so I should stop there today. And the next is the third: to obtain blessing, guru yoga. That we’ll do tomorrow.

end [1:18:00]