Archive Result

Soundfile: 19950225GRAV2.mp3

Duration: 123:52 (2h 3:52M)

Speaker: Gelek Rimpoche

Location: Ann Arbor

Transcriber: Kimba Levitt

Topic: Avalokiteshvara practice

phowa

advice for dying period

Welcome back and looks like quite a number of people been…

[PAUSE 0:00:09 - 0:00:17]

… have come back for the afternoon. And I do have actually the Avalokiteshvara practice which very simple way of doing it had been worked out here. And this is the language (what you call it?) — editing work is needed still. So this is not a final but it is available for people to use. This as well as I have something tomorrow too, but this is for today. So Avalokiteshvara practice. So those of who — maybe J would you give everybody a copy each? I hope it's enough. I'm not sure. If not enough, please share it.

[PAUSE AND SIDE CONVERSATION 0:01:18 - 0:01:42]

So, we're going to go over those practice later. This practice will be basically whatever I been talking earlier and what I'm continuously to talk will be included in that practice. This morning some — one lady came up and said she wanted to have the deity practice. Is she here? Maybe. Huh?

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: That's you right? So there you — so I'm sorry I did not introduce in the morning, but it will be here. But major thing what I'm talking this morning and I will continously to talk will be major practice with the deity Avalokiteshvara. But there is a little practice written. Again I like to say this is not a simple practice. It's not an initiation, not an empowerment. Nor it is commitment. It is a simple suggestion of what you can do. And um,

[PAUSE 0:03:06 - 0:03:22]

OK. So this morning I talked about dissolving system completely at the dying state. And then if you are in the control and what you do at that moment and then you begin to take focus. The time when you make focus is when there is air movement. That means energy movement. When you sort of settled and stick on that consciousness passing through — through the death stage moon — the autumn-moon-like clear light state. When your mind is focused on that. When any movement comes over that, meaning you lose your focus and you begin to come up with other thoughts. And I'm talking this on the basis of taking a — presuming people knows basically the meditation on mind status. So that's why I'm talking. So but the moment you see movement, the moment you see something we're thinking, something happening, then it was the time for you to make mind up and saying whether you would like to take rebirth, sort of taking rebirth in the pure land or you want to take rebirth on the perfect human level where you can still continuously complete your practice. At that moment you sort of make up your mind and saying now I'm going to go either this way or that way.

0:05:25

The two directions. You don't want to go any other directions. I'm …

[MIC SCREECHES: did I do something wrong? It's you. OK.]

So that is the thing. You don't want to go any other direction because you may get some other different wrong places. You don't want to do it.

[SIDE CONVERSATION 0:05:47 - 0:06:00]

0:06:00

OK, now, when you do it, when you think in during the practice period what you do. And about that time, when you begin to pick up other thoughts or begin to have something else, then the — then you have to — the process what we went through earlier, eight different stages, will be reversed in the according to the order. Will be reversed. And there are some people who practice this in England. And there's a geshe named Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, and Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's Center, some people who have practiced this. And they have the process coming but not in order. In the wrong order coming. And so, so one of our late master, Kyabje Song Rinpoche (many of you probably have met him with the beard guy, you know? Sort of looks like white Chinese guy with long beard.) So Kyabje Song Rinpoche was alive at that time when the wrong process was taking. So Song Rinpoche went to the Center and they had a talk with these people. And when he came back to India he told me they got the wrong process. And I said, "What happened?" He said, "The signs comes out but doesn't come according to the order. It comes upside-down, different ways. Instead of white follows — red follows the white and then instead of that somewhere red pops up before white and then suddenly white pops up, you know? And all this happens."

So he said that is the fault of the individual practitioners. When you tried to visualize earlier, you lost the order. Then that's what happens. He said, when actualized then you know it's very difficult to go forward, or backward, or reverse everything because all orders are upset. So it was also necessary. That way we noticed. It is necessary when you practice, you have to go the orders properly rather than pick up random and pick up something here and there. Then that's what happens. And that happened in England with the English guy in the — again, in the 80's, in the early 80's. So that's what's happening. So that means the process if you practice, you really have to follow it properly, steps, without making mistake. Otherwise you can get stuck.

0:08:42

Stuck in the sense, you neither go forward nor you neither goes backwards. You know, bump, bump, bump, bump. You know, sometimes when you have those electronics doesn't go, you keep on pushing buttons, you know, here and there. And that's what happens. Hopefully it will change something so otherwise you have to get a mechanic. We can't get Song Rinpoche back, you know, so that's what it is.

[PAUSE 0:09:05 - 0:09:16]

Then, people who can — now you sort of, now you have to change the choice, the sort of menu number two. And those who cannot practice, those who cannot do that, who are not — who may not be able to handle this little complicated or things, may not be able to do it, for them, the Tibetan buddhism has offered a practice called phowa, which is ejection of consciousness. What they do, way and how they do, is again, it is very simple practice. This practice also requires traditional teaching and things. And what they really practice, really do, is sort of can give you here watered down version of it. I better tell you that clearly. A watered down version. So that's a limitation.

So the watered down version of the phowa I can tell you here. It's called phowa in Tibetan language. So what you really do is you focus yidam, whatever you're practicing, either Avalokiteshvara or Tara, or whatever the yidam may be, and inseparable that of your own spiritual master, inseparable that of all buddhas. And this phowa practice really does demand very strong intelligent faith relying on. I really like to use the word 'intelligent faith' rather than just blind — total blind faith. Intelligent faith.

0:11:34

We don't — particularly we the Tibetan buddhism, and particularly that of Tsongkhapa tradition, will never, ever encourage people to have blind faith. The blind faith is very complicated. So even Buddha himself said,

[TIBETAN 0:11:54 - 0:11:58]

Like if you're buying gold, cut it, burn it, rub it. And when you're satisfied take it; otherwise, throw it away. I'm sure you people have heard that. So, that is the same thing buddhism. "Just don't buy because I, Buddha, said so." Check with your intelligence and rub it with it, cut it by it, and when you think it makes sense, take it. Otherwise, don't. So that is the thing. They do not encourage blind faith.

However, you do need intelligent faith. You do need faith. I'm sure you don't expect to hear from me that. But you do need faith.

[TIBETAN 0:12:41 - 0:12:45]

It is intelligent faith is like mother who give child birth. And without mother, you cannot get. How great father may be, if you don't have mother, no matter whatever you do, you can't produce a kid, children, at all. So that's what it is.

[TIBETAN 0:13:06 - 0:13:14]

And if you don't have intelligent faith, nothing will grow. Like if you have roasted the seed and try to hope to yield barley, you're not going to get it. That is the traditional Tibetan example. If you roasted the barley and then put it down and try to hope to yield it, it won't. It won't grow. So, so that's what it is. So intelligent faith is necessary to any practice actually. If you don't have that, it doesn't grow.

And phowa, this case, especially you do. The watered down version of the phowa, what you really do is then you have inseparable that of your own spiritual master, and Buddha, Avalokiteshvara, Tara, whatever yidam may be, and very strong. You are allowed to practice this before you have sign of death. You are not allowed to use and die. You're not allowed to do it. Even it is watered down version, it'll be my duty to say it, otherwise it's not right. You are not allowed to use this and die. If you do so, you do have heavy downfall of killing a deity. So you can't do it. And not only killing a human being, but killing a deity. So that is a big, heavy downfall. A really heavy one. So you can't do it. Practice you're allowed.

0:14:56

What you basically do is basically strong, inseparable guru and yidam, pray very strongly. And invite the yidam inseparable that of guru sitting on your crown. And you yourself, you open up. You open up from the crown physically and mentally, both ways. Physically you can't open just now but it will open by itself. So, in your visualization, you open up physically as well — actually, physically does open later — physically and mentally. And um, your consciousness is sort of light. This time it's heavy and light, that light. Like cottonball type. You know. Very light. Round, white ball in your central chakra or central — or center of heart chakra or something, if that makes sense to you. It is very light one. Even little — if you put little air, it will sort of go. That sort of light. Sitting at this level.

And when you're looking up, not from here this eye, but from the center, that light ball, when you look up, and straight from your head joining with Lama Tsongkhapa, or Lama Buddha Shakyamuni, or Lama Amitabha, whatever it is. Lama Vajrayogini, Lama Yamantaka, Lama Avalokiteshvara, Lama Tara, whatever may be, and their consciousness is sort of red-colored mandala, in the sense not really a mandala but sort of circle of the — sort of sun disc. Disc. You know like a CD-rom disc type. Sun disc. And sort of red colored disc at the heart level of the lama above you and your consciousness down here. And then the strong faith, intelligent faith that you have, is the linkage. So what will happen is because of that strong request, prayer, and totally rely on. That is the very important point. Totally rely on. Rely on in the sense sort of thing, well here I don't have capability of myself controlling the process of life and however, I would like to be, like to have it. And I don't have it. I can't help it so would you help me? I totally rely on. That's watered down version, or the simple speaking.

So with that strong mind, when you make that request and pray, and then the compassion-oriented — actually in reality the compassion of the enlightened being comes out some kind of red-colored tube light comes down. (Are you with me?) Sort of tube light comes down and locked up here. Locks up with you. Locked up.

0:18:56

And then, within that tube light, again love and compassion-oriented mind of enlightened being some type of hook-like, another inside the tube light, additional thing comes down with like a magnet power. Sometimes when you see those construction people, they have a huge thing which, you know (what you call those?) — crane and goes down and put on something, clicks, and then lifts up and goes down, right? In that manner that is exactly in that manner. Within that red tube light the compassion-oriented mind of the enlightened beings comes and click on that little light thing that you want it to pick up. Little light ball stick to it and takes up.

And the little mystical way they will say HUM, PHAT, and all this. You make noise saying that — the noise is actually the energy collected together and say PHAT. So that's how they push it up. PHAT! With PHAT you push it up. So like three, four times they go up and come down, go up and come down. Come down is because we don't want to die. So, if actually that's what you do. That's what very simple watered down verion of practice of that. Goes up and then comes down. PHAT goes up — HIK goes up, PHAT comes down. HIK, PHAT is the two words. HIK pushes up, PHAT drops you down. HIK, PHAT, HIK, PHAT. That's what it is.

You can keep on practicing that. And after a little while it's disconnected and this is seal it again. Seal it again. And also it is important to seal all our other holes, like eyes been sealed, ears been sealed, nose been sealed, mouth been sealed with either mantras or something so that consciousness doesn't go any other way except through here. And that is the one of the important points. That's what you can do.

0:21:11

And that practice can go on and until you get some physical sign such as over here it becomes soft. And um, soft. And sometimes even you have very painful too. Some bumps comes up. Even you don't do anything, bumps comes up. Sometimes even the bumps open and little sore comes up. And you don't have to worry about it. It's a natural process. And then stop doing it. You're not — it is a sign you are OK. So after that you don't do it every day. It is not considered a great thing to do all the time, for longevity. So you don't do it. But practice it and until it's been capable of doing, then occasionally you can do.

And when actually, final time comes and then you can just before the minute or two before the actual death comes, you're supposed to go at that time. And then you go with HIK only. You don't have PHAT. Not coming back. Keep on HIK'ing it up. HIK'ing it up until even you cannot say HIK by your, on yourself, but with visualization and if you stop reading at that level you'll manage by yourself how to go. And you don't have to depend on anybody. You're managing. Up to that level.

0:22:49

You don't bring the deity down. And HIK pushes up. PHAT will drop that little cottonball down. HIK goes up; PHAT comes down. Cottonball is the one that goes up and down.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: You can do that too. You can do that too, but, Lama Amitayus is actually used for longevity so that is called Infinite Life, Amitayus. And for phowa and things, Avalokiteshvara practice use Lama Amitabha which is the Infinite Light. Buddha of Infinite Light. That is the same buddha. In reality, all these enlightened beings are same, but each one of them have its own little purposes. So the Amitayus, or the Infinite Life has purpose special. They're all doctors, but one specialize for longevity and one specialize for something else. But not the doctor — what is it? We have the Michigan doctor …

AUDIENCE: Kevorkian.

RIMPOCHE: Kevorkian. [LAUGHS]

[PAUSE 0:24:19 - 0:24:33]

OK. That probably be enough. Any practice of any deity yoga — this is true statement — any practice of any deity yoga, you have to look at the lama inseparable that of this deity and that deity, rather than deity is somebody else and the lama is somebody else. I don't think it works. I'm not try to introduce you the guru trips, but however, I believe that's how it works.

[PAUSE 0:25:17 - 0:25:33]

All right. Now we change the menu again. Now this time, I'm …

[MIC SCREECHES: What are you doing?]

… This time we're going to give you another little simplified version. So this is third one, right? Third one. Third one simplified version. You know this is coming out of a sutra called daga yeshe. Daga yeshe. I think it's Bodhisattva Wisdom Sutra. So the Buddha had advised the bodhisattvas and those who have developed bodhimind and those who have not developed that power of taking rebirth and those, and for them Buddha has — now there's no tantric practice here. No vajrayana influence. It is pure sutra simple influence. And so Buddha had advised them to have I think five most important points.

[PAUSE 0:26:44 - 0:26:58]

Again, Buddha recommends the bodhisattvas to remember the true emptiness. Point of remembering emptiness. That is, buddhists are very big, heavy with the emptiness. So that's why the emptiness is the biggest weapon they have too. So the emptiness. And then wisdom alone single-handed wisdom will be not good enough. The essence of the wisdom should be compassion oriented. And compassion and wisdom combination. Compassion takes number two.

[PAUSE 0:27:43 - 0:27:50]

I think this is not five. I think this is the eleventh one. I'm getting mixed up to myself. Anyway. So can somebody keep the numbers? Emptiness, remembering emptiness; compassion together. And then somehow thinking that you yourself, the deep down good nature human being is pure light nature. Faultless. That will become third, isn't it? Then on top of that, no attachment. Become, what is it? How many you got? Emptiness, one. Compassion, two. Then the, huh? Pure, three. No attachment, four. I believe it's four, isn't it? OK.

[PAUSE 0:28:52 - 0:29:02]

Then, the buddha-nature is within ourself. And you don't have to search enlightened buddha outside. The buddha-nature is within ourself. Within individual. Will that become five? And Buddha advised the bodhisattvas to go through the death procedure with these five points in mind.

What will happen is, then all the process, whatever that will take, that lead the subtle consciousness in the sort of in the swings of those five important points. So that automatically leads you better in the next one.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: I'm sorry?

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: Better future life. Mm, hmm. And all this are easy for us to talk about it. But individual, if, whatever you're going to pick up, and if you want to do at the time of the death alone, it's difficult. You should have a little practice and training by yourself even before so that when the time comes — actually the best period is when you go to sleep. If you try to get those things during the training period. When you go to sleep, try to fall asleep with those sort of thoughts coming up. And if you can. I mean, it's very hard but if you keep on doing it, you will do it one day. You'll make it. And that's gain two purposes. Not only you get training, but also your sleep will become extraordinary sleep period. So that's why this are quite useful things. And that is another menu.

0:31:22

Now the next one is, even those — these next two are almost the same, but even those who cannot do that (supposed to be) are those who are not even the bodhisattva level yet. This is Buddha has given advice to the followers of the Buddha, the monks and nuns, for them. And Buddha recommended to have eleven different point of understanding at the time of the death.

Number one: no attachment.

Number two: love. That not ordinary love, but try to bring joy and happiness for all beings.

Number three: no hatred. All the hatred that you wanted to have must be cleared. That's three, right?

Number four: purity. You must purify all your negativities. You must purify all your negativities. The four powers I talked earlier. If there is time, we'll come back. If there is no time, we can't come back. So four powers. Purification. And that automatically produces number five which is: all your vows should be pure. That sort of if you have purification it will come up that way.

Now interesting thing here is the number six and number seven. This is a very interesting thing. Number six: Buddha says you purify all your negativities. Even you have very heavy one you remember. But look them as though it's nothing. Look them as though it's nothing. At the time of the death, you look though it's nothing important. Look them as sort of look down on them. Nothing. And even you have very small little virtue, you know, very small little thing, but look them big way. Something solid that "I have that," you know, sort of thing. "I have this positive karma of giving a banana to homeless down there," you know, sort of thing. You know. Big thing you carry. Even that. Even there's nothing. "I was very hungry but I didn't eat. I gave it to that person," or something. You know, in that manner. Look very big way. Whatever little thing of thing may be. And whatever huge negativity may be, even the killing of human being or something, "well, yeah it was accident. Nothing. You know, I didn't do anything wrong," big thing or something. You know. In that manner look down. You purify. At that time you have strong regret. Purify. But when actually going, look them as small, as though nothing is.

0:34:28

We have a habitual pattern. You know, particularly people like us, yeah, in this room, who had some understanding of spirituality, who do know something about karma, who are not very sure. And we do have that traditional education, or family background, whatever may be, lot of guilty feelings. Guilt you carry a lot. So, so we do have the problem of looking, even thought it is small little negativity, you'll see them huge. We do have that in our (what you call it?) background or in our thing. We do have that. So somehow you have to train yourself. Change it. Anything what you did, make it big way. And anything what you did a big negativity maybe try to look as small at the time after purification. I think it is become very important to do that.

And number seven — eight now, should be. Isn't it? Eight should be: one should not have fear of going through the death. Fear of — one should not be afraid of going through the death. The fear will put you down a lot. The fear. Who asked that? Didn't you ask that question? No you didn't. Somebody have. The fear. Did you understand me? The fear. Wants you really push down the fear as much as you could.

Actually people will say, if you're young, they will say, "Well, I'm not afraid of dying." Everybody will say. But if you get complicated illness, you will be afraid of dying. So you have that. That is in our habitual pattern, anyway.

So what are you afraid of it? People are afraid of it. I don't know what they're afraid of it. Sometimes everybody of course I'm afraid of dying.

[PAUSE 0:36:38 - 0:36:45]

You know, the fear of disconnecting, not seeing the things as you see it every day, not talking to the people as you talk to the people every day. And fear of disconnecting is there. But Tsongkhapa calls that a silly fear. I do not know why he calls it a silly fear, but it's definitely a fear. No doubt. Tsongkhapa choose to call it a silly fear because that is something which will happen. But the real fear what we have is what will happen thereafter? The fear of unknown; fear of not knowing what's going to happen thereafter. We do know we go through a process. And um, and if you know what you're doing and what you're going through, somehow we get through.

I used to think funny thing. You know, sometimes these days the doctors put people through (what you call those?) Huh?

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: CAT scan. And another one is …

AUDIENCE: MRI.

RIMPOCHE: MRI. You know, they put people in the — I seen them in television all the time. They put them in some kind of little frame and they tie you completely down and push through that machine. And we sit there quietly because we know we're afraid. There is a fear for sure with everybody. Look at the face. You'll know it. But still, you know it is a checkup and something good for you and you got to go through with this. And we sit there, right? And if you don't know what going to happen, if you try to put somebodythere and try to put down, they will fight with all the resistance, right? So that's what it is. If you have a little knowing what's going to happen is, that fear will be less. knowledge.

0:39:00

But our problem, the real problem, is not what will happen through the process, but what will happen thereafter. And Tsongkhapa says that's genuine fear. And Tsongkhapa puts this disconnecting as silly fear. Silly in the sense that's you can't do anything. And that has to be done. That has to go through anyway. And there's nothing can be done of it. But the other one is the something can be done. And so something — something to make sure that you have better future life. Something — somehow whatever the best way you can make sure to make better. So that's why he called that genuine fear.

So anyway, the Buddha recommended here to not to have fear because knowing it is a natural process. And also feel comfortable that you have the done best what you could do for your future life, which is unknown. So combination of that can reduce the fear of not knowing what will happen thereafter.

0:40:15

Then Buddha said, "Think everything is impermanent. Everything created is impermanent. Everything is emptiness." And Buddha adds up on that, "Nirvana is peace." I hope there is eleven of them.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: What do you miss? Who had eight? J had eight?

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: Let me go again, once again.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: No attachment. No attachment. One: no attachment. Two: love. Three: no hatred. Four: pure. Five: vows are pure. Six: look the negativities are small no matter how big it is. Seven: look the positives are big no matter how small it is. Eight: no fear. Nine: impermanent. Ten: emptiness. Eleven: nirvana is peace. OK? That's eleven.

0:41:43

You know what nirvana is peace means? Once you go out of this circle, then you're free. Once you cut this — this controlless moment of karma — and delusions, once you're out of that, then you're out of samsara. Means you are get nirvana. That means you're free. Peace. Free. Same thing.

OK. That is one of them. So that will be one. Third or fourth choice. Fourth choice. Fourth choice.

0:42:27

Fifth choice — this is good one! Really, really good one. This is quite a simple, easy to do it. Quite a good one. This is called mahayana training mind phowa. This is very interesting. mahayana training — [TIBETAN 0:42:51] — which is mahayana training of mind practice of phowa. This one has no HIK and PHAT. This has five most important points you do. And uh, this is very good one.

[PAUSE 0:43:07 - 0:43:17]

Again, the first power, first point is called white seed power. White seed power. OK? What does that mean? What does that mean? White seed power is no attachment. [LAUGHS] Again, anything that you think you hold back. See, I mean, any choice that you get from the Buddha, no matter whatever it is, the first thing comes no attachment. Almost everywhere. Right? And that must be mean something. Yeah. And that's called white seed power.

And then the second is the power of prayer. To pray. Power of prayer. Pray that — you also have to know where you're going to go; what you want to do. You just can't say, "I'm going to go to Pure Land." There is also a number of choice. Different pure lands. Lot of them. You can go to, if you're practicing with Tushita — Tsongkhapa and all this — you can go to Tushita Pure Land. You can go Amitabha Buddha you can go to Western Paradise. Vajrayogini has her own pure land. Avalokiteshvara and Tara and all this, they share the pure land called Potala. The Potala in Tibet, the Potala Palace, is named after that pure land. It's not that pure land's after that Potala Palace, OK? Not the other way around. Really. True. It's named after that. It's called Potala. R, what is the problem?

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: Wow! That's a good question. It is the land where there is no (what should I say? What is pure land?)

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: No obstacles. When you experiment smoke, when you try to experiment smoke — acid or something — what do you look for? Some kind of fantastic high where there is no um — no problem. Beautiful, high, floating — I don't know. Huh?

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: Hassled. What does that mean?

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

0:46:16

RIMPOCHE: Yeah, maybe. Is that what you look for? That's what the pure land is. And uh, no setback. No fall down. And I don't think it goes wrong. I dont' think you get those nightmares some people do. You don't get those. That's why the difference between getting high with the chemical and the pure land is that there's no nightmares probably.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: Last one. Yeah. Forever in the sense for that life.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: It's not nirvana. Pure land is not nirvana. It's not human birth either. It is beyond human level.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: If you don't work hard there, again the same continuation of the same laziness, yeah. Otherwise you will not.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: Some are. Some are not. This is very complicated thing. I'm sorry. Technically, some are. Some are not. Like Pure Land of Tushita is samsara.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: Akanishta is within samsara. Akanishta is the top level. Yeah.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: You do have opportunity. You do have the opportunity because pure lands are normally manifested by some of those enlightened buddhas to produce people to have some kind of rest. And it's sort of resort area where you can have fun, and rest, and practice continuously so that you don't have to go back. Sort of it is specially provided magical land. Not Twilight Zone, but some kind of magical land provided. Yep. I'm sorry. I don't know exactly what to say. That's — I guess that's about it. So that's that.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

0:48:40

RIMPOCHE: That's right. That's right. And that's why you choose the deity within the lifetime. Some people choose are more inclined to do this; some people say "I'm more inclined to do that." Some people will have equal opportunity at the time or all this sort of thing. Really true. That's a lot of choice.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: I don't know. Depends what kind of vow. When you take a certain initiations and then — you know the Tibetans have a bad habit of every initiation available they take it? True. And Atisha said, scold Tibetans. From India, Atisha the 11th century Bengalian scholar and saint who came up scold Tibetans. He said, "You Tibetans have a hundred different deities and never get through with a single one." He said, "We Indians have one deity and get through with every other deity." So that's the what Atisha used to scold Tibetans. So. But on the other hand and we do that. So a lot of those pure lands are linked with pure — particularly deities are linked with that way. It's not necessarily lama makes difference but I think deity makes difference.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: L, I don't even know whether Yamantaka has a separate pure land or not. Vajrayogini you can call it Dakini's Land. Dakini's Land. That is just we call it. But you know, the purpose of the vajrayana, maha-anuyoga tantras like Yamantaka and Vajrayogini are not so much focused in pure land but delivering the goods within your lifetime, or particularly at the time of the death, if not at the time of the death. So they don't focus one step beyond that too much.

0:51:10

Where am I now? Oh, I'm in the mahayana points, right? No fear. That's where I am, right?

AUDIENCE: power of prayer.

RIMPOCHE: Power of prayer. That's right. Power of prayer is once you make up mind, say you're going to go to the Western Paradise, they call it. Really, true. [TIBETAN 0:51:35] When they translate it, it's called — becomes Western Paradise. I don't know whatever it is. I hope we are not praying to born in America! [LAUGHS] Tibetans been praying for centuries to take rebirth in America.

You know there's a land called Shambhala. And the Panchen Lama (the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama), the Panchen Lama is supposed to be the most important person in the Shambhala Land. And Panchen Lama is the 25th King of the Shambhala which is the Shambhala is supposed to be connected with the world (if it all does, but whatever it is).

[PAUSE 0:52:22 - 0:52:36]

It is interesting. The prophecy says the world will be divided into two. Then finally one will lose and one will have complete superpower in the world. And at about that period, during that period with some huge, powerful, chemical power they go very high level existing land and they begin to see Shambhala. And that is supposed to be where the Shambhala get contact with human land. And um,

[PAUSE 0:53:15 - 0:53:26]

Anyway, the Panchen Lama was supposed to be the most important person in the Shambhala. And I think the Panchen who died a couple of years ago in China, I think before that, I think one before that, like sort of fourth Panchen or something [TIBETAN 0:53:52], supposed to be giving a direction how to get to Shambhala. I'm not sure whether it's true or not. Somebody told me a person took the direction and went and landed in Italy. [LAUGHTER] It must be joke. I don't know. But very seriously, by a serious person told me that.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: I don't know. Whatever it is. Not very long time ago. So, anyway, so the prayer. The power of prayer is always you dedicate all your virtues, all your positive things, and dedicate to be taking rebirth wherever you want to take: a perfect human rebirth and practice again and complete your practice in case if the practice did not complete with this lifetime. Or, have prayer to be reborn in Tushita or Western Paradise or whatever it is. You know? So all of them and do this. That is the power of prayer.

[PAUSE 0:55:22 - 0:55:31]

Then there's called power of antidote. Actually, power of um — maybe the word repentance is something very strong. What does word 'repentance' really give you? The meaning.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: Non-repetition. I think that's more meaning than non-repetition alone. It is heavy-duty Christian language, isn't it? So, but it almost in that point. And what do you really renounce here is — this is mahayana way so self-cherishing thought. Self-cherishing thoughts are self-cherishing. Huh?

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: Self-cherishing. So selfishness, self-cherishing thoughts, are renouncing it completely. And self-cherishing thought I look more than self-cherish. I look here the mind — I rather refine that as myself's concerned I look thoughts of ego-entertaining thoughts. You know, all our ego, to satisfy our ego, will entertain our ego a lot. We dance around with the ego to soothe the ego's need. So the ego entertainment. That's what we do. Renounce that completely. Look them, look at that as the real evil spiritual within you. Look at them as the real enemy. Renouncing that. That is very important. Lot of things we do for our ego entertainment. We act completely sometimes absolutely foolish. We do that. That's just to satisfy our ego. And then they sort of come up with freedom. So that's becomes very big problem to handle. So I think freedom is what you really want it and what your ego wants you to do is two different things. One really need to look very carefully on that. That is the power — the third (is third or fourth?). Third power. OK.

0:58:14

Now the — now the fourth power is power of mind. It is the mental power. What the mental power you have to do is, no matter whatever difficulties I go through at the time of the death, I'm not going to let the mind of not going to entertain the ego. I'm not going to let that mind go at all. Did you hear me or I said something wrong? I said something wrong.

You know, the mind entertaining ego will look at them as enemy and we don't want to deal with that. Sort of making up your mind. I will not give up that making of the mind at the time of the death no matter whatever difficulties or easy I may have it. Making up strong mind. In other words, at the time of the death I will have no negative feelings. I will always have very positive. I want to die with love and compassion. I want to die with devotion. I want to die with understanding of emptiness. I will die with bodhimind. I will die with concentration on yidam. I will die with concentration on Buddha. Or something in that manner. I will die with concentration of guru. Whatever it may be. In that manner. And making mind and sort of put your foot down and stick to it. That is another problem.

1:00:00

The fifth power here is when you get used to it to do this, it almost become you're habitually doing it. And every time when you go to sleep or all this become habitually. And that is the power, the power which you already automatically have it at the time of the death. That's why I said this is beautiful. You can — you have no commitment. You can do it very simply. And you can practice that day by day. And once you get practice you become perfect and you don't doubt much. At the time of the death you'll have them easily with you. And if you don't have it with you, somebody else who have it can be with you when you're dying. And if you have the idea before and if somebody else there to suggest you, to give you all these thoughts, it's very useful. But if the person has no idea at all, if you try to suggest something, it won't work. It get confused completely and won't get any good at all. Right? OK. That's that.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: It becomes automatic to you. You get used to it. It become habitual for you.

[PAUSE 1:01:20 - 1:01:33]

Even this one says, by the power of the enlightened beings, you will definitely take rebirth in a good place. No matter how heavy negativities you might have done it, but at the time of the death, if you have such a thought, in your future life you will definitely…

[AUDIO CUTS OFF AND SILENCE 1:01:57 - 1:02:15]

… you got a lot of choice.

[PAUSE 1:02:16 - 1:02:25]

Now, a person who can't even do that, person who can't even do that. Right? Even you can't do that, then what else can you do? For them, another choice. And then at the time of the death, whether you — now, this is buddhist oriented so whether you like, whether you look your guru, your master, or Buddha Shakyamuni, or Lama Tsongkhapa, or Lama Manjushri, Lama Avalokiteshvara, Lama Tara, whatever may be easy, just visualize in front of you. And make strong request. "I have no other object of refuge than you, so I'm totally rely on your people's compassion." And keep on repeating it and finallly, if you can visualize the image, or the mental object, what you have produced in front of you become small, and smaller, and smaller, and become like one inch. And light nature one inch comes and dissolves from your crown and comes in your heart level, mixed with your mind. And keep on remembering mixed with your mind. Becoming oneness with that. Inseparable that of mind of Avalokiteshvara and me. Keep on doing that. And if you could die within that period until you are unable to concentrate. If you keep on concentrating with this, if you keep on concentrating with that, and that is another sure thing. A lot of choice. This one easy one.

Even you can't do that, now, even let's say somebody cannot do that, what else can you do? Huh? Even you can't do that.

1:04:56

You have difficult J? You have problem?

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: No, the guru, or Buddha, or whatever the object you have refuge, it become small light ball come through your crown and go down and mix with your mind; become oneness with your mind; united with your mind. And try to remain in that joy of uniting the Buddha and your mind together. And in that manner. And in that — within that joy if you can. That is quite easy. But, when the people are sick at that level this easiness also difficult.

Even you can't do that, then just focus on the object of refuge, it says. Just focus on the object of refuge, whatever it might be: it's guru, Buddha, Tsongkhapa, deity. Whatever it may be. Just keep on remembering that within that when pass away.

So, number of choice been presented to you. It is traditionally, that's what Tibetan teachers taught. And taught to their practitioners different level. And I have collected this from various different teachings and combined them little bit here, from there, complete comprehensive ones, picked it up and brought here.

1:06:52

Now the next step what we are supposed to do is Avalokiteshvara practice. This is why I'm doing this together is because this is something which everybody has to go through and everybody — it'll be very helpful for everybody. And particularly, even it's not helpful to yourself, but you can suggest to the other group or what they could do. You know, like people could do — the third person can help others what or how they're going to do or something of that sort. You know what I mean? Different level. And if you keep on practicing yourself with different choices for a couple of times, you begin to comprehense. And when you begin to comprehense and then if your friend's dying or something's happening, and then you can think which is suitable for those people; which one you can do.

And I do this because I get a lot of calls from different people. And before, I used to get a call and saying so-and-so, my mother, or my father, or my father's friend, or mother's friend, or so-and-so died and could you pray. That's what I used to get. But the last year and a half I'm getting so-and-so dying, so-and-so dying. What can I do? What I can do? What can I do? At that moment I can't say much on the telephone, right? I can simply say something. So that's why I do this, so that people will have an idea. And um, then if you have to use it, you call me and then we can discuss what level fits to the people or something. So things like that we can do. So that's what it is.

1:08:54

And now, the next is how to — you have the knowledge now. And how to practice knowledge combined with practice. Why Avalokiteshvara? And why OM MANI PADME HUM. And all this. And I do have simple little thing that we circulated here and which we thought we could work out with that.

Basically, if you look at the picture, the picture is Avalokiteshvara. And what is Avalokiteshvara? Avalokiteshvara is embodiment of the love-compassion of all enlightened beings, according to the Tibetan buddhism. Not only Tibetan buddhism, according to the Chinese buddhism, or the Japanese buddhism, or according to the buddhism it is.

What does that mean? So sometimes people need something to hold on. Some kind of figure you can imagine. Something you can hold on. And that's why enlightened beings taking physical form. All the deities are like this. It is the reality. It is nothing but that of consciousness of the enlightened beings somehow appeared in certain physical form. And that's why this is happening. That's what manifestation is. That's what appearance is. That's all deity is all about it.

1:10:36

And I would like to take a few minutes break. I think everybody needs a break too. And especially I do. So. So, this is like 3:15, so can we say like half an hour break and then we will do this deity yoga practice. If you don't like deity yoga, then don't come back. [CHUCKLES]

[BACKGROUND CONVERSATION THEN AUDIO CUTS OFF 1:11:03 - 1:11:16]

… maybe it's OK. We begin to — if you look here. This is very interesting, simple, little practice of Avalokiteshvara. And I've been mentioning to you earlier, Avalokiteshvara is the embodiment of the love and compassion of all the buddhas. And uh, all the buddhist practice, particularly that of Tibetan Buddist practices, will find in taking refuge to buddha, dharma and sangha is the beginning because the — and that's the way it's done. And also generating a bodhimind.

So what we have here, "I take refuge to buddha, dharma and sangha until enlightenment." So the taking refuge is very important point from the buddhist point of view. It basically mean rely on. And traditionally they give us the advice, interesting advice, if you want to stitch something with a needle which has two prongs, it will be very difficult to stitch. All the seamstress will tell you. Sort of single-pointedly rely on for the enlightened beings. So that is the mostly recommended. So that's why we have first here, "I take refuge to buddha, dharma and sangha." So taking refuge is one of the most important points from the buddhist point of view. The difference between buddhist and non-buddhist — difference between the buddhist and non-buddhist is marked by whether you're taking refuge to buddha or — buddha, dharma and sangha or not. That's what it is.

1:13:37

And my subject is not to talk refuge so don't let me hold on it. Otherwise, I'll linger around. But the question rises how long you take refuge? You just take refuge once and forget about it? Or no, no, they said until enlightenment. Until no longer we need any help or assistance. Until then we take. So the enlightenment is the ultimate level. And that was the first line: "I take refuge in buddha, dharma and sangha until enlightenment."

Second here, "By practicing generosity and other positive actions, may I attain enlightenment for benefit of all beings." So, now it is generating love-compassion. Love-compassion orient — feeling oriented love-compassion because whatever I'm doing my positiveness I'm going to do for benefit of others. And that is not a simple buzzword but it is more than that. You're dedicating all your good works for the benefit of all. By practicing generosity and other, whatever good work I'm doing to benefit all the others. So that is the generating bodhimind, or ultimate love-compassion.

And the practice of it, again, "May all beings be happy, beings have happiness and cause of happiness. May all beings be free from the suffering of the cause — suffering and the cause of sufferings. May all beings never be parted from joy. May all beings experience equanimity."

If we keep on talking, we can talk a lot. But basically you can visualize. You can take refuge to object of refuge, buddha, dharma and sangha, represented by Buddha alone, or guru alone, or Tsongkhapa alone, or anybody, for that matter, alone. And even within, let's say single buddha. If you visualize Shakyamuni Buddha and within the Shakyamuni Buddha you can have all buddha, dharma and sangha within it. The body is sangha, the mind is buddha, and the speech is dharma. In that way.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

1:16:16

RIMPOCHE: So this is just one example. If you look at the Avalokiteshvara here, I do have a thangkha hanging here. This is four-armed Avalokiteshvara. There are thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara and all this. But no matter whatever the physical appearance may be, Avalokiteshvara is Avalokiteshvara, whether it's four-arm or two-arm or five-arm or eleven-arm or thousand-arm. Whatever it is.

This is interesting question. You may say it. Why the Tibetan buddhism has such a complicated? So many different deities: wrathful, peaceful, on the horse, on the foot. Um, what is it? Even Avalokiteshvara you have male, female. Females are mostly Taras are called female. Oops, Taras not called females but Taras are female. And um, and Avalokiteshvara in Chinese version, the Kwan Yin or Kwan See Yin, Kwan Yin Pungsa, or whether it is in the female form. And Japanese Canon. Whatever the form is, male or female. I don't even know. So anyway, all this. Why? The question rises, why?

And you know what happened? There's so many practitioners. And when you do practice, sometimes these deities appear to that person in that manner. In that manner. And then the practice continue thereafter. And that's why different forms come. To some fearful, to some peaceful, to some — each one of them have their own reason beside that appearing to this individual.

1:18:14

And I do have interesting historical effects on this. There was a very well-known rinpoche called Tserkhong Rinpoche. It's Tserkhong Dorjechang, actually. It's called Tserkhong Dorjechang. The famous Tserkhong Dorjechang I believe died in 19 — I believe 1920's. Somewhere around there he died. And during his cremation, during his cremation there's so many different deities people have seen it. Everybody have seen it. Different deities. So many different deities.

Even this Gomo Rinpoche I talked to you this morning, the Home #15 Father, during his funeral, and many people have seen him it's like Tara, Avalokiteshvara, Vajrayogini, Tsongkhapa. Many have seen it, like there're about a hundred, two hundred people have seen it. And Tserkhong Dorjechang, the same thing happened.

So there was a crazy guy — I mean, nice young guy who used to joke with Tserkhong Dorjechang always. And they said he came late during the funeral. So everybody went and looked in the fire: I saw Buddha, I saw this, I saw that. And this fellow looked up and he sees nothing but donkey penis; penis of donkey. Nothing else. And he thought he's been terrible. So he looked back again and he still see the same thing. And everybody was seeing Buddha and this and that. This fellow was seeing only big donkey penis standing right in the middle of the fire. So he thought he's terrible, saying he's been sort of very heavy, non-virtuous, whatever. Get those heavy-duty trips he picks up. And so then one of the living great teacher explained to him, "actually he's telling you that he is in reality Heruka known as 'Donkey; Donkey Penis Heruka.' And you always joke with him about the dirty jokes and that's why he show you the penis all the time." So he felt bad — better.

So the point of the Heruka, Donkey Heruka, is, there's earlier in India there's a practitioner who's practicing Chakrasamvara Heruka all the time. No matter whatever he does, years and years and years, nothing happened. And one of his teachers — then he talked to the teacher. He said, "what's happening?" He said, "I do see — I get nothing. Nothing happens."

So, "So what do you see? When you visualize, how do you visualize? What do you get?"

He said, "I get nothing but funny things."

"What funny things?"

I mean, he was a little hesitated. After a little while he said, "I see the sex organs only. Nothing else."

He said, "Why don't you visualize Heruka completely in the Heruka body but having the — sort of instead of head, have a big dick over there sitting." [LAUGHTER]

And he said, "Are you joking?"

He said, "No. Try."

And he visualized and he saw a deity in that manner. And since then the initiation and teaching continued. He is one of those maha-siddhis. Continued called Heruka Donkey Face.

1:22:14

So that's how the different manifestations, so many of them, effect, due to the effect of practitioners. And there are other people in future who will have connections and effecting in that way. And that's why so many manifestations comes. Because you know, to soothe somebody, all these enlightened beings go all out of the way even for a single person to be able to connect in that manner. So that's why it's become complicated so many things. It is today because years of thousand of years of saving each one of those different manifestations. That's why it — it goes like that.

Anyway, so in this case it is Avalokiteshvara. So, so we have this single face Avalokiteshvara with four arms, which is sort of very common for everybody. So before you visualize, it is also very important each one of those visualizations of image are not just manifested here, but is actually coming out of nature of voidness, nature of emptiness, the nature of reality. It is grown out of emptiness. When you empty anything can grow out of it. If there's filled up, you have no room to do anything. So grown nature out of emptiness. So you use this emptiness mantra, OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHO SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA SHUDDHO HAM. That is the emptiness mantra.

So, in your visualization — I deleted but in the older thing they said, "All is empty." So when you say OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHO SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA SHUDDHO HAM, when you translate it, it becomes "all is empty." So you don't need to say it again. Either you say, "All is empty" or say it OM SVABHAVA SHUDDHO SARVA DHARMA SVABHAVA SHUDDHO HAM. So it is Sanskrit, little more romantic, little more mystical, so I put that in. OK?

So, then goes, "Within the sphere of emptiness appears white lotus." It is quite simple. Actually, if you're going to practice yourself, you say it and then think, visualize, from the emptiness popped up white lotus. Big one. Nice one. Fresh one.

Above it, moon disc. OK, now these are the Tibetan buddhists have this moon disc and sun disc. It is a disc, like a CD-rom type of CD-type of disc. And yet, when it's moon disc it is like a stainless steel type of color and moon disc normally you think little more whiter than steel, little more fresh, crystal cooling effect and little more life in it. That's what you can think. And if you find sun disc little yellowish-red life. It's very important to be alive. The flower is alive, the moon disc is alive, everything is alive. It's not a dead religion. It's alive. It's living. Moon disc.

1:25:51

"And upon that the love and compassion of enlightened appears as seed syllable HRI." We have in Tibetan combination of HRI available and we don't have them in English. And I came out with this little thing, little Japanese tea stove type of thing. If you look that HRI example. Actually what you have is H and R underneath and I on the top and two swirls around and it becomes like Japanese little tea stove. They have those little signs type of thing. And I thought it is easy to use, easy to visualize, and it is combine letter too. Otherwise you have H-R-I. To some people it's OK; some people it's a little inconvenient. And it is if you combine them, make like seed syllable this thing, it becomes quite useful. So HRI. So it is simple. You can think that in the moon disc, you know, and have that little Japanese tea stove sign type of thing.

"And light radiates from the HRI, transforms and purifies environment and its inhabitants." Meaning, in your visualization, that little HRI is generating a tremendous amount of light going every direction. Every direction: up, down, sides, corners; everywhere.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

1:27:36

RIMPOCHE: Out of that suddenly pops up the lotus. Above that suddenly moon disc. Above that HRI comes up.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: Well, we created emptiness for a moment. And I don't think we're capable enough to hold emptiness that long. So even you think of empty, even then you see things around. This is our level. So, I don't think we can hold that long so here you have a purpose of purifying. An opportunity as well as purpose, both. So has to take both the best advantage.

And this ritual is actually made in the absolutely Tibetan tradition. It's not translated because when you translate it, it becomes — it becomes something like this. You know, it doesn't fit together very well. So try to make in the English the principal structures. Even the seed syllable. They change the look. And Tibetans changed it from Sanskrit. The Tibetan seed syllable been changed it from the Sanskrit and the Tibetan letter. So now in the West we can use the seed syllable in that way. So that's what I did. Otherwise, it's absolutely and true to the tradition. And so that's why you have this seed syllable radiating light, purifying all environment and inhabitants.

And that very light also makes offerings to those who are all enlightened beings. And collect — ooch. What did I say? Light makes offerings to the enlightened, gathers their blessings, and dissolve back to the HRI. HRI transforms into noble, compassionate one. I mean, you don't have to say that. You don't have to write. It's OK. Dissolve back. Back means back to where? Back to HRI.

1:30:02

"The HRI transforms into the Noble Compassionate One with one face and four arms. The first two arms are folded at the heart holding a jewel, symbolizing wish-fulfillment for all beings." For example the Tibetan tradition, the traditional text will say, "holding jewel." Period. So I put that "fulfilling wish for all beings." That's the purpose of holding. You know, it is a hand implement — hand implements been giving you signal. So what signal you're giving? Holding the jewel here saying that "I can fulfill wishes of everybody." That's what it's saying. So that's why we wrote it here, "symbolizing (what is it?) — hold at the heart holding jewel symbolizing wish-fulfillment of all beings."

"The second right arm holds crystal rosary representing the liberation of countless beings." You're counting mala. You count. You know? When you're counting, you're counting 1, 2, 3, 4. Like this. You're counting. What are you counting? The countless beings I will liberate them. Actually it is invitation telling them come to the liberation. And no matter whoever you are, I will count. It is the gatekeeper calling you in. OK? I mean, it's not gatekeeper. I just said it symbolically, OK? Maybe because somebody will say, "He said Avalokiteshvara is gatekeeper" or something.

[PAUSE 1:31:55 - 1:32:06]

"And second left arm holds a white lotus signifying purity. The Compassionate One is adorned with jewelled ornaments and (what is?) — flowing silk. Youthful, majestic, with magnetic beauty, he has the syllable OM." You have O and M and then you have two little extra dots on the top. That's why you have OM. If you don't like it, you don't have to pick up that. You can make your own.

OM at the crown, AH. AH this one has big capital H — uh, A — and small h underneath. Actually AH is a comination of A and H. AH at the throat and HUM. This is not very good but it's best what I could think of. The simple little H with the two dots and then three circles on the top and squiggle also. There's a lot of reasons why the HUM has all this. Because earlier I've been telling you HUM dissolves to the HUM, HA dissolves to the HA head, dissolves to the crescent, crescent dissolves to the circle, circle dissolves to the squiggle and you come back. This is why H have those symbols. You do need them to correspond with the eight dying stages. So that's why you do need. So even it's H, you do need that. Even H doesn't have those things, so you put it on the top. That's what it is.

"Light radiate from the syllable HUM, invite the wisdom beings and empowering deities. The wisdom beings dissolve to the Compassionate One. DZA HUM BAM HO." This is mantra where you dissolving mantra. You use mantra has its own power so that's why you don't translate mantras. So DZA HUM BAM HO.

"The empowering deities annoint him." It's sort of putting on, rather than saying 'pouring water on.' You know, it's sort of — get a hold of the person, pour the water on top of. It looks like a little bit funny so I the best word I could come up is this one. "Confer initiation with overflowing nectar. A buddha appears on his crown." Just let the buddha — actually it is Infinite Light Buddha, Buddha Amitabha, the Infinite Light Buddha. If you want to know, that's that. J?

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

1:35:11

RIMPOCHE: Ah! Good question. You know why? Why you have to do this? Why you have to do this because to satisfy our rational mind. Actually, as I told you earlier, the union of body-mind is body-mind function the same frequencies. So I said pervasive. All the enlightened beings there if we give them opportunity to work. And if you visualize, it's there. However, our rational mind is such a thing, "this is I just simply visualize and I haven't seen anything. Nothing is there." To satisfy that, I use invocation. The invocation here is the light going from the seed syllable and then inviting that really wherever the actual wisdom is. In your visualization, the very same thing what you have visualized here came in millions, like a snowstorm from the different directions and dissolve to the body what you have it.

And when — DZA HUM BAM HO is also like, first get in, the focus is not right. You can almost see two person in there. DZA HUM enters. BAM HO it becomes one. Even the focus is right. The nose is together and the mouth is together, eyes together. Everything together. The focus is right. So that is how you visualize. The purpose — it's not necessary but all the rituals have it. The reason why it have it is to satisfy our rational mind.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

1:37:23

RIMPOCHE: Image might not be. The sound OK. You know why? The image is, as I told you, suddenly they appeared in sudden things. Each one of those images it has its own reason, it has its own history. It appeared in certain level. It has its own thing. It is not that somebody made up and draw it. It appears in that way. So changing of the image I'm not sure. But the structure of the face you can definitely change. You'll see tomorrow the Tara one, I purposely got somebody who draw Tara more Western looking than that of Eastern looking. But the person, the artist, made Middle-Eastern looking type of thing, so. So, as you'll see that. I think look is physical appearance is OK but hand implements and all this are changing I will not recommend. But I cannot say you don't do it. That's what it is.

Sound is OK. I can reason why. There was two great Tibetan teachers in the — I think it's almost 1200 something. It's 13th century is it? 1200 somewhere. And two Indian scholars have come up to Tibet to challenge for a traditional debate. Traditional debate means you debate and whoever losses you have to change your following system completely. So you join here or you join there. Sort of, you know, the old traditional Indian buddhist debate is that's how it functions.

So the Tibetans thought a lot and they sent one scholar and one powerful guy, magical power. The two of them they sent. So the job of the scholar is to debate and the magical guy to have the magical power if the other person played with it. So the scholar debated and this guy, anti-buddhist scholar from India, lost. And then he demanded you have to shave your hair and have to become a buddhist monk. And you have all your followers you have to bring them and I will now going to make you a buddhist monk. He's going to catch them. And but when you're going to catch them, he flew in the air. Went up and flew in the air and started looking his friend, companion. And he has a little dagger in hand, in his hand, and he looked and the shadow is coming, you know? So he took the dagger out, put on the shadow, and said, "OM BENZA CHOLI CHOLI." And he put that and he fell down. Fell down.

So the scholar here said, "Oh my god! Your mantra's even not correct. And if you have that much power and if you say correct mantra, how powerful it will be." In normal circumstances he would have not listened it, but since this is very well-respected teacher, scholar, and also fully developed saint, so he said, "All right. Then what is the correct mantra? How do I say correctly?"

He said, "You say OM VAJRA KILALI KILALI, not BENZA CHOLI CHOLI."

He had a little doubt, so he said — he took up dagger and he said "OM BANJRA KLALI KLALI." Hit on the stone. It won't go through. It will not go through. It bounce back. And then he took it out and said "OM BENZA CHOLI CHOLI," hit on the stone and went through. And then he said,

[TIBETAN 1:41:39 - 1:41:43]

He said, "even before I said CHOLI CHOLI, even in future I will say CHOLI CHOLI." He said. So the sound is OK, but some direction. Even KILALI went into CHOLI CHOLI but some direction. Doesn't have to be perfect.

OK? So where did I lost now?

OM AH HUM — oh, DZA HUM BAM HO this time. Right? All of them Buddha on the crown that was done right? So now this is praise. This was supposed to be translation.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: Huh?

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: DZA HUM means come in. BAM HO becomes become oneness. Sort of. It directly doesn't come that way. It has to go through with a couple of one or two things if you go around. You know, Indo-European language traditions? So like that. You sort of twist it around a couple of times it will — bottom line it will come up that way. Yep.

The praise here is, "Your stainless white body is without fault. A buddha adorned (what is it?) — a buddha (what is it?) — adorns you. Your loving gaze never wavers from beings, especially those who suffer most. I honor your quality and aspire to gain them." You know, I didn't say, "I bow to you." The reason is, the all translations wherever this thing they will come as bowing, bowing, bowing. The bowing business in Tibetan is two words: 'chag' I respect you. When you bow down, I'm respecting your quality. At the same time, I'm expressing I want that quality. So which, somehow, bow doesn't give so that's why I choose to call — I chose this: "I honor your qualities and aspire to gain them." So that's normally you get as "I bow down to you." That is the direct translation but I changed in that way.

1:44:10

"Compassionate One (this is Seven Limb) — Compassionate One, I bow to you." The same thing. Because, again the same old thing you have to bring it down.

"I present offerings both actually arranged and mentally created. I purify all (what is it?) deluded activity. I rejoice all pure activities." I talked to you the four powers. Earlier I mentioned. Every time when you purify, you have to have power of regret, power of renouncing, and power of non-repetition. And base power of refuge and compassion. Power of refuge and compassion, power of regret (not guilty), regret, power of non-repetition (not reprimand or…

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: … refuge and compassion. Refuge. It is four R's: refuge/compassion, regret, non-repetition (non-repetition), and is there four?

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: Renouncing it. Thank you. Renunciation. So these are the four powers basically. You have to have strong. You just can't have, again, buzzword. Strong ones. And if you have strong ones, no matter how heavy it might be, it purify. Remember the Angali Mala story. Angali Mala. You know Angali Mala story?

1:46:26

There was early Indian — during the Buddha's lifetime, somebody was told by somebody: if you can kill one thousand human beings and cut their fingers and make a mala wear your neck and come back to me and I will liberate you. That is the non-virtuous teacher. That's what happened.

So finally, he killed 999 human beings and the last one happens to be the Buddha. So, Buddha appeared there and then Buddha finally been able to communicate with him by, you know, by — Buddha walked slowly. He couldn't catch. And keep on going, going, going and after a little while he's getting tired. He said, "Hey! Wait!"

And Buddha said, "I've been waiting. Why don't you come a little faster?"That's where they broke the ice. And that is begin to become communicating. And since once communication was done, then Buddha managed to help him. He become arhat after killing 999 human beings. And the purification has so much power. Even that much could do it. So we have done — we have not killed even a single one so why not? Could do it.

1:47:50

Anyway, and then "I rejoice in all pure activity." Rejoicing is something very important which we completely overlook. Lot of people. You know, rejoicing, you know, we don't rejoice other people's doing good things. We say, "Yeah, my neighbor is doing something very good." And if you're not getting along very well with the neighbor, the neighbor will say, "Yeah, these people doing good, but, blah, blah, blah." Right? You always have 'but.' So they have self-interest, they have this. Something. Something you come up with it. So that is our bad habitual pattern. And that has become expensive. Expensive. Here if you rejoice, the neighbor works, I get equal amount of benefit.

So the — you know the bodhisattvas and buddhas have thought for a long time how best way people could do purification and building a positive energies. They come out this seven conclusions. Really, true. And Shantideva, if you know the early Indian great one, Shantideva said,

[TIBETAN 1:49:18 - 1:49:21]

He wrote poetry on that. He said, "Buddhas thought for a couple of eons and they draw the conclusion of seven limb." So these seven is very important to every practice you could do it. Purification, rejoice. Rejoice. If you rejoice somebody who's doing good work, if your spiritual status is equal, you get equal benefit. If the other person is lower than you, you get double the benefit. Let that person work and you get benefit double. Really, true. And if you rejoice better ones and you get half. That's what Buddha said. So, so rejoice is very important investment without any risk involved.

And I did say that in Italy couple of years ago. Somebody invited me there in Milano, in the Center. I said, "Rejoice is best investment." Two months later, this very group invited me in Brazil and I saw t-shirt already made saying, "Rejoice is best investment." [LAUGHS] In two months they made the t-shirt and it is in Brazil! So anyway, that's what happens. Rejoice in all pure activities.

1:51:06

"Please remain until total enlightenment." These are — I mean, it's not that important. It's part of seven.

"Bestow wise and compassionate guidance. I dedicate my merit for the benefit of all beings." Dedication is another important. You know why? I said there — we said — Oh! I didn't say yet. Oh, I did say. I did say the application of four power can neutralize all negativities, right? The negativities also have an equal amount of weapon, which is anger. The anger can destroy all our positive karma. Anger is like fire. I can talk to you that tomorrow because Tara's protection with eight fears, one of them is anger. So the anger is symbolically in this case is fire. And fire that consumes all the forest. When you go through it eats all the forest, bones, all the forest. Like that, anger takes — the fuel of the anger fire is the positive karma. To lock that, to lock that, to make sure it doesn't waste in that, key is dedication. These are the funny.

These are the only the enlightened beings, like Shantideva said, they had a big conference for one hundred eons and draw the conclusions. They found out of that. So the dedication does that. Why? Because karma is definite. Once — this karmic rule is such a thing, karma is definite, therefore whatever you dedicated, until that result was given, it cannot waste. If you are not dedicated, it can go. So it's sort of left unprotected. So the protection for this is the dedication. That's why there's dedication.

1:53:24

Then we have, "Oh Noble Compassionate One, I and all beings pray that you never cease to protect, guide and care for us. Please protect us at the moment of the death in our great fear of unknown and fearful, narrow passage of bardo. Free us from rebirth of suffering and lead us to a perfect freedom." So that's what you say and pray. And then you can chant OM MANI PADME HUM. This is a famous Tibetan mantra, OM MANI PADME HUM. I don't think I will explain the meaning of the OM MANI PADME HUM because — is it necessary?

[PAUSE 1:54:24 - 1:54:35]

OK. OM has three letters. And here it is written O-M. But if you look in the — anyway, both O and M, both have life. The life of the sound is AH. So in Sanskrit and Tibetan, OM will have three lives, A, O and M. Three of them. So three represents body, mind and speech. Body, mind of speech of enlightened being and body, mind and speech of me the practitioner. I'm going to go easy way. MANI is jewel with Avalokiteshvara holding. Yeah, MANI is jewel. M-O-N-E-Y, right? [LAUGHTER] Fulfilling all your wishes. So, anyway, MANI is jewel, meaning love-compassion and seeking freedom, taking refuge, all these practices are MANI.

PADMA is lotus. It's also hand implement of Avalokiteshvara. Purity which represents the wisdom. So wisdom and compassion combination, the union of wisdom and compassion is HUM is union. So, union of wisdom and compassion combination in the mind of enlightened beings and in the individual mind, practitioner's mind. And that very union of individual mind and that very union of enlightened mind becoming union as during the death practice you remember? You bring the enlightened being and union, united with your mind and become oneness. And that's what it is. HUM combined together. Combination of it.

That's one way. There's a million different way of explaining. Some people will say six syllables will reprsent six realms and all this. Freeing six realms and all of them there. So when you say — I think you can read it through.

And we should have a little practice to do at the end of this. It's almost getting to the end, so we should have a little practice to do. And um, you can read this as we read it just now. But then we can do — you can chant the OM MANI PADME HUM. The first chanting, let's say if you visualize the Avalokiteshvara — maybe we should say the practice together. So if you keep on visualizing, then it will work.

1:57:59

Would you like to lead that? You. Yeah. Just — don't do three times but just one time. Three times will take a long time, so. And then read slowly so that you can visualize. And then stop before OM MANI PADME HUM. I'd like to give a little visualizations and then you can — give you different visualizations actually. Yeah.

AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]

RIMPOCHE: We can say together.

[GROUP RECITES PRACTICE 1:58:31 - 2:01:46]

OK, if we chant the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM, we may be disturbing the other side people. I'm not sure. I don't want to disturb them but, maybe you chant very quietly, not shouting. But if you visualize — you have those seven limbs you gone through and now what you do is you visualize Avalokiteshvara in front of you. And praying strongly, like the last one in the death period, death practice we have, and pray very strongly and dissolve Avalokiteshvara to you. Dissolve the Avalokiteshvara. Avalokiteshvara will come and a simple, small little light. If — you may even have the duplicate ones comes first and dissolve to your body, inside you. And you become oneness with Avalokiteshvara. And remain focused and concentrate on that consciousness dissolved with enlightned consciousness for that joy level. For that level, focus for a little while.

[SILENCE 2:03:08 - 2:03:23]

The sujbect on which you focus is actually your mind. It is not like nothing thinking or it's like blank, yet there's no shape or color to hold on.

[TAPE ENDS 2:03:52]