Gentle Whispers Page 3

Taking this step towards liberation, one encounters the experience of the mahamudra, a Sanskrit word meaning great gesture, which has been translated into Tibetan as 'chakja chenpo'. The nature of emptiness that comprises the whole of samsara and nirvana, this entire sphere of becoming which contains the entire universe and all possibility of experience, is represented by the first syllable, 'chak' (the honorary prefix to ja). The fact that all of samsara and nirvana, and all possibility of experience throughout the whole universe, does not go beyond this emptiness is represented by the second syllable, 'ja' (literally, seal). 'Chakja' indicates that in meditating upon this seal of voidness, one attains the wonderful perfection of complete liberation as a fully realized Buddha. By travelling on the path of refinement and employing the recognition of this seal of emptiness, one attains what is called in Tibetan 'chenpo' (literally, greatness). So this is what is meant by mahamudra in Sanskrit or chakja chenpo in Tibetan.

In order to recognize this seal of voidness, this mahamudra, the student must first meditate to recognize the nature of mind. Then when a certain amount of development in meditation is plainly evident, the tsaway lama, out of his great kindness and blessings will give the student the explanation of the nature of mahamudra. If the student is of the most excellent capacity or acumen, then simultaneous with the very moment of this nature being pointed out, instantaneous liberation can occur. Literally, the whole part of purifying, obscurations, of great accumulations of merit and wisdom and of the blessing of wisdom occurs right at that very moment of revelation between teacher and student. The great leap from samsara to nirvana is covered completely and spontaneously, right then, right there! However, a student of such excellent capabilities is extremely rare; most students who hear this explanation must first apply the methods of purification, of accumulation of wisdom, and of supplications to the tsaway lama in order to realize the fruition of the mahamudra.

On the other end of the scale is the inferior student who simply cannot understand the nature of the Dharma. However it is explained, it really makes no sense in his or her mind. Within the range of contact I have had in the Western nations that I have visited, I have seen very, very few inferior students, as just about every one seems to fall into the category of average, an assessment based on apparent intelligence, insight, application, as so forth. Average students progress naturally along the path, but they need to supplicate their tsaway lama with devotion, so that they might receive the blessings of the lama. Further, they need to do the practices to purify obscurations and develop an accumulation of merit and wisdom in order to attain liberation from samsara through the mahamudra.

How is it known for certain that the efforts just detailed will lead one to the fruition of mahamudra? The Lord Buddha himself, in referring to it, said that the absolute truth of co-emergent wisdom (meaning mahamudra) is only attained through the accumulation of merit and the purification of obscurations, combined with intense longing and devotion for the tsaway lama (root Guru). The coming together of these two qualities (that is, one of accumulation and purification, the other of devotion) gives rise to the mahamudra experience; there is no other possibility for such occurrence.

In accordance with this teaching of the Buddha, the whole approach of Tibetan Buddhism (under the guidance of one's tsaway lama) is based upon purifying obscurations and developing accumulations of merit and wisdom. Once beginning this path by taking refuge, one can quickly proceed through what are termed the foundation practices, or one can do yidam practice directly.

First, let us consider the benefit of doing the foundation practices.

These are powerful practices designed to eliminate obscurations and defilement, plus they are useful in developing an accumulation of merit and wisdom. Inwardly, these practices work by primarily developing faith and devotion in the Three Jewels - Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. With this faith firmly established, through the power of the blessing of the Buddha Shakyamuni, the root of all blessings manifests as the tsaway lama, the root of all accomplishments manifest as the yidam, and the root of all Buddha activity manifests as the dharmapalas, or Dharma protector. Thus, one has faith in the Three Jewels - Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha - and in the Three Roots - Lama, Yidam, and Dharmapalas - which are visualized with great devotion, resting in the blue expanse of sky in front of one. Keeping this visualization stable, one then offers prostrations so that the body and speech, acting as servants of the mind, fulfill the intention of paying homage to the visualization of the enlightened sources of refuge. By reciting the refuge prayer while performing prostrations, one is developing faith in the Three Jewels and the Three Roots visualized before one.

A prostration is a wonderful action that allows one to offer faith by means of the body. By joining the two palms together and placing them on the forehead, one offers the world of form. To offer devotion by means of speech, next the joined hands touch the throat; and to offer devotion with the mind itself, the hands then touch the sternum of the chest, directly over the heart. Then with the thought: "I offer devotion with this body, speech, and mind," offers a whole prostration by lowering oneself flat on the ground. The Buddha said, that even a single prostration will give benefits, such as robust health, good complexion, and handsome features, an influential position with the quality of affection from gods and men, and influential speech and a goodly accumulation of wealth, a higher rebirth having the companionship of holy men, and most importantly, liberation. By performing even a single prostration, one gains the amount of merit equal to the number of atoms in the piece of ground over which the five limbs are extended, from the surface straight down to the golden ground of the universe. By offering this simple physical action, the effects of negative actions accumulated through the body, speech, and mind are purified and eliminated, so that instead one realizes the qualities of the body, speech, and mind of the historical Buddha. By this foundation practice, a deep and profound accumulation of merit and wisdom is thus developed and realized.

If there were no such thing as the Three Jewel or the Three Roots, then there would be absolutely no benefit in having faith and devotion in them, and absolutely no benefit in doing this practice.

But have no doubts, because the Three Jewels and the Three Roots are the essence of Buddha activity to benefit all sentient beings. In having the very powerful qualities of blessing and compassion, the Three Jewels and Three Roots act just like a hook. Because a hook can not catch anything if there is no ring, one's devotion and faith are like putting up a ring. Thus, the ring of devotion and faith, turning one away from the bewildering confusion of the lower realms and towards liberation.

Despite my assurances, you may well doubt this because you cannot see the compassion and blessings that emanate from the Three Jewels and Three Roots at work. While it is true that there is no actual way to this, such doubt is unnecessary because the visualization practice works by interdependent arising. To illustrate what is meant by interdependent arising, the technology of the Western world offers some useful examples. An especially good illustration is that of remote control TV, whereby one can alter the picture on the screen simply by pushing a button. Similar devices have a wide range of exact usage (e.g., garage door openers, cordless telephones, etc.), yet all have the quality of affecting an action for no apparent reason. There being no connecting wire, one cannot see a direct connection between the remote control device and the mechanism the device triggers. But this makes no difference; such devices definitely work.

To carry this illustration further, given a remote control TV, one can not operate it from a distance unless one has the control device. Given an incompatible brand of device buttons, the TV cannot be switched on remotely, no matter how many buttons one pushes. Given only a remote control device, pushing all the buttons does not allow one to bring about a TV image if there no TV present.

It is the interdependent arising of this device and the TV that enables such phenomenal expression to take place. In the same way, interdependent arising enhances the connection to the Three Jewels and Three Roots through the visualization practice.

Most of you receiving this teaching have adequate possessions and can provide your physical comforts, and so forth. By means of this wealth, you can be generous and, for instance, can buy butter lamps as an offering of devotion, or can give support to the poor and needy.

These acts are exemplary of the means by which generosity can actually help in the elimination of negative accumulations and can aid in the acquisition of accumulated merits. In the foundation practice termed mandala offerings, one conceptualizes and visualizes a mandala (or arrangement) of great iron mountains ringing a vast sea containing an even higher Mt. Meru itself surrounded by four major continents and eight minor islands. Together, these represent our universe. By mentally arranging these into a beautiful mandala, and by mentally offering all the wealth and possessions of the whole universe of gods and men time and time again, one develops a very good accumulation of merit.

In the foundation practice known as Dorje Sempa (Sanskrit. Vajrasattva), one does the practice of purification. Consider for a moment an item, perhaps some clothing or a piece of cloth, that is stained and dirty. To cleanse it, one employs soap and water, scrubbing and rinsing it in many different ways until the blackness or stain has been removed.

Consider that from beginningless time until present, each sentient beings has a vast accumulation of negative trends and tendencies. Them easiest and best way to purify such negativity is the cleansing process in which Tibetan Buddhism specializes, namely the mediation of Vajrasattva.

By meditating that Vajrasattva rests upon the crown of one's head as the essence of the tsaway lama, and by reciting his one-hundred syllable mantra, all the while visualizing the descent of his purifying blessings washing away negative accumulations, one actually uses this process of karmic washing to purify and cleanse stains of one's faults, broken vows, transgressions, et. In a manner similar to rinsing the dirt and soap from a dirty cloth, by reciting the one-hundred syllable mantra while visualizing this nectar like blessing rinsing away karmic accumulations, one is illuminated and purified. This practice successfully removes all previously accumulated negative karma.

I should note here that one usually begins the foundation practices by first taking refuge and doing prostrations. Then one does the purification of Dorje Sempa, followed by mandala offerings, before one supplicates the tsaway lama in guru yoga. However, one may begin with the purification practice of Dorje Sempa, especially if one is having a problem with the visualization technique.

In the fourth foundation practice, one does guru yoga, whereby one develops unshakable devotion to all the Buddhas and boddhisattvas, lamas, yidams, and dharmapalas, plus one supplicates their great blessings, great compassion, and great power. In the actual practice, one visualizes and thinks that the tsaway lama is the united essence of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, to whom one prays with great faith and devotional homage. By means of the merit thus accumulated and by having purified one's negative karmic accumulations in doing the first three foundation practices, the great wisdom of the mahamudra is then quickened by guru yoga. Now, you might well wonder, "Who is the guru?" In inner essence, the guru, or tsaway lama, is none other than Dorje Chang (Sanskrit: Vajradhara), the primordial Buddha. However in external phenomena, the nirmanakaya body of the guru for those associated with the Karma Kagyu lineage is most likely that of His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa, or one of his four spiritual sons, Their Eminences Tai Situpa Rinpoche, Sharmarpa Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, and Gyaltsap Rinpoche.

Actually, whatever well-known and recognized lama of any lineage one chooses, as one's tsaway lama is the person from whom blessings and teachings will be received. Additionally, one's tsaway lama is that being who clarifies and demonstrates the true nature of mind, so that one rests assured not only in the qualities, but also in the capabilities of one's tsaway lama. To make a comparison, if there is a very large deposit of gold above ground that gives off a light that shines into the sky, then any one who is interested knows exactly where to locate that deposit of gold. In the same way, the great qualities of the spiritual son of the Kagyu lineage and of its great lamas have a similar light that shines forth proclaiming the great qualities of these realized ones. This field of attraction is the activity or work of the dakinis who want to benefit beings by illuminating the Dharma to allow all to see its essential nature. Obviously, there are many other qualities apart from fame that connote great lamas; however, the most important quality is the teacher's having an unbroken lineage.

From the primordial Buddha Vajradhara, the realization of blessings, of empowerments and instructions, and of spiritual authority should be transmitted in an unbroken manner through the succession of realized masters, generation by generation, until it currently rests with the tsaway lama you have chosen. With this assurance, one can rest steadfastly in the belief that the tsaway lama's power or realization and transcendence goes directly to the source of the Buddha fields, that of dharmakaya itself.

If, however, one does not have the time, the ability, or the inclination to do the foundation practices at this moment, then the other method to accumulate very great merit and wisdom, to purify negative obscurations, is to regularly perform yidam practice. In the various Dharma centers scattered around the world, one can become familiar and comfortable with the yidam recitation and visualization practices, especially with the practice of visualizing one's body as the deity, one's speech as the mantra, and recognizing mind's nature as the profound samadhi of the deity. Doing these yidam practices is extremely beneficial and, in the beginning, one can develop this habitinstruction, and doing this practice together with others as a group.

Meditating with visualization, whether employed in the yidam or the foundation practices, can present some stages of development that are important to recognize. Within one's daily experience, one constantly experiences many emotions, discursive thoughts, and so forth. These, however, are constantly dissolving into emptiness; actually, they are as much non-existent as they are existent.

Just imagine the amount of discursive thought or emotional types of experience that happen during a conversation lasting six hours.

Yet for half that time, the mind is totally at rest, although the individual does not see that because the mind is obscured by ignorance. By frequenting a nearby Dharma center, taking visualization ....

Yours in the Dharma,

To be continued...