ORAL TEACHINGS BY
THE VERY VENERABLE KALU RINPOCHE
"GENTLY WHISPERED"
Excerpts from the book
"GENTLY WHISPERED"
Three kinds of mentally
projected phenomena are constantly experienced by sentient beings because
they believe that these projections are real. One projection is quite familiar.
It is called the fully ripened body, or ,fully ripened corporeal existence,
referring not only to the physical form, but also to the whole world in
which sentient beings take rebirth. This world of corporeal existence,
which is experienced as a whole environment (with landscape, mountains,
etc.), is called fully ripened because it is the ripening of karmic accumulation
that gives rise to such an experience.
Another projection
is that which is perceived as the dreamer within the dream. During the
dream, one believes one has a body that actually experiences the various
episodes conceptualized while in the dream state. This dream body is the
result of the constant and endless tendency of believing in a self. In
believing, “I am,” and in constantly clinging to external appearance as
being some-thing other than self, one clings to duality. The dream body,
or the body of habitual tendency, is but a second type of mental manifestation.
Third, there is the mental body that arises after death. One’s familiar
form, or body of karmic fruition, is composed of five elements which, at
the time of death, dissolve into one another. Finally, the residue of this
dissolution again dissolves into a base consciousness which then falls
into a kind of oblivion where there is no cognition. This state is like
a very thick, heavy sleep, which usually lasts about three days, after
which the consciousness m-arises and immediately projects a vast array
of illusory images. These mental projections have a haunting similarity
to the way one is in one’s dream and waking states. Such projections are,
however, very different in that the appearances occur instantaneously and
will arise and disappear immediately and very rapidly. Additionally, there
is the tendency of the disembodied being that
is experiencing this
display to believe that it is something real.
This, of course, furthers
the habitual clinging to a duality of self and other, which complicates
the after-death experience. Because the mind is caught into a misbelieve
of self and other during these illusory, bewildering appearances, such
non-recognition causes the experience of a great deal of fear and suffering.
All three bodies are continually manifesting in samsara because of this
misconception; in the death bardo, or the interval (bardo) between dying
and being reborn, this habitual misconception eventually compels one to
experience rebirth again. However, bardo appearances, just like corporeal
and dream appearances, are completely illusory. They have no foundation
in absolute reality. It is this tendency of clinging to self and other
that is inferred when the mental body is mentioned.
To liberate themselves
from these delusions of misguided projection that are the source of suffering,
the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many other realized beings have recognized
the true nature of mind as having the quality of empty, unimpeded clarity.
All sentient beings, without exception, have this same mind. This itself
is the seed of buddhahood, the actual buddha nature that is inherent in
all sentient beings. However, the ignorance of clinging to a self has obscured
this inherent nature, for by clinging to a self, one necessarily defines
an other, and therefore one clings to duality. This duality results in
the obscuration of emotional reactions and the obscuration of karmic accumulation.
This clinging, and these resultant obscurations, is the difference
between samsaric existence and enlightened awareness.
According to the teachings
of the Lord Buddha, the obscurations that keep us from true liberation
are considered to be four in number. First, in the same way as one is unaware
of one’s facial image without a reflective surface demonstrating it, so
the mind also does not see itself and is thus fundamentally ignorant in
that it is not directly aware of its own nature. Second, through this ignorance,
the mind develops habitual tendencies of dualistic relativeness of a self
and an other. Third, unaware in its ignorance and force of habits while
confronted by these dualistic projections, the reaction of the mind is
that of emotional affliction, producing bewilderment, aversion, and/or
attachment. Fourth, this emotional confusion produces accumulative karmic
results that manifest in physical, verbal, and mental reactions which,
in turn, further the karmic consequences of ignorance.
Despite its having
become deluded, this same mind has yet another quality. In its empty, clear,
and unimpeded awareness, it has a primordial (or base) wisdom. This primordial
wisdom, and the primordial consciousness, are indivisibly mixed together,
resulting in the state of sentient beings. Yet, occasionally, in just the
same way that the weather produces openings in a thickly clouded sky allowing
shafts of sunlight to shine forth, the primordial wisdom (or buddha nature)
will somehow shine through the veil of ignorance.
At that moment, no
matter on what level of existence, sentient beings will experience some
kind of feeling of compassion, of faith, or of some altruistic motive.
This feeling motivates sentient beings to perform virtuous acts. Such virtuous
actions will cause a higher rebirth, which will allow for more opportunity
with which to mature
Buddhadharma. All of you who are coming in contact with this discourse
have
accumulated a great
deal of positive karmic trends throughout many previous lifetimes. In these
lifetimes, you have definitely developed faith in the Three Jewels Buddha,
Dharma, and Sangha.
You previously established
a connection that is ripening in this lifetime. It is evident that this
is true because you are someone who is naturally inclined to acts of virtue
and you have an interest in the Dharma. This is a very great attainment.
That is what is meant by the precious human existence, which is a special
type of human existence that has a number of specific conditions. It is
extremely difficult to obtain, due to the propensity of the ignorant to
cling to ignorance. Thus, by doing that which continues to increase your
virtuous accumulation, you can continue to attain a precious human existence
and to experience rebirth in higher states of existence, which encourage
the flourishing of the Dharma.
With such an opportunity,
you can liberate yourself from the ocean of samsaric suffering and place
yourself in the state of buddhahood. Now that you have this golden opportunity,
it would be a shame to waste it or to lose it! The opportunity of attaining
a precious human existence is quite rare. It is often compared to the incalculable
chance that a blind sea tortoise, which rises to the surface once every
hundred years, would be snared by a single golden yoke afloat on an ocean
as vast as space. You might wonder how it is possible for beings in the
lower realms to attain a precious human existence when it is not possible
for them to understand the Dharma. As well, you might wonder how it is
they can ever escape from these lower realms. Since they cannot hear the
teachings and are thus unable to put them into practice to free themselves,
how is it they are not stuck there forever? I will develop this topic for
fuller understanding in a later chapter, but for now I will give
a brief answer.
Even though sentient
beings experience the lower realms as hell denizens, hungry ghosts, and
animals, all of which lack the capabilities of understanding the meaning
of the Dharma, they can form a connection with the sound of spoken Dharma
and with the visible forms of Buddhadharma. These demonstrations of its
truth will eventually lead to a rebirth in a higher state of existence
in the human realm. Also, the mind of those experiencing the lower realms
might feel a kind of virtuous impulse which, at some later stage, will
ripen into rebirth in the human realm. Then, as a human being, it is possible
to acquire the merit that will allow a rebirth in a precious human existence.
It is therefore possible
that you can bring great benefit to all sentient beings through your prayers
and good actions. You can be of direct benefit by having contact with beings
in the animal realms, especially those that have close contact with the
human realm, and you can help these beings progress to a higher rebirth.
For example, if you were to explain the Dharma to an animal, or even to
groups of animals, the blessing of your action would result in their experiencing
a rebirth in a higher realm at some future time, although at the time of
your explanation, they would have no understanding of what you had said.
You can also speed up their progress by showing them a form or image of
the Buddhadharma, or by reciting the sound of sacred mantra into their
ear. And, of course, by doing these virtuous actions you increase your
own positive karmic accumulation which helps assure you of future precious
human existences.
There is a wonderful
and simple illustration recorded in the sutras. Before the era of our historical
Buddha, Lord Shakyamuni, there was that of the third Buddha of the present
Kalpa, namely, Buddha Kashyapa. In that epic of time past, there was a
shrine, or a stupa, which is considered sacred to the Buddhist tradition
in that it has many special symbolic meanings. On a leaf hanging from a
branch of a tree growing near this stupa were seven insects. During a strong
gust of wind, the leaf broke loose and sailed through the air, taking the
seven insects with it. As the wind carried the leaf and the insects around
the stupa several times, the insects performed the highly meritorious action
of circumambulation of a holy place. By this karmic connection, the seven
insects were reborn in a celestial realm in their next lifetime.
Yet another example
from times past is that of a land tortoise who enjoyed drying off in the
sun after a morning of wallowing in the mud of the shore hidden in the
shade by the tall tree. The tortoise’s sunning spot was on the opposite
side of the nearby stupa, which had a crack in its base. Longing for the
warmth of the sun, the land tortoise walked daily to his sunning spot,
using the stupa as his landmark to guide him there. As his eyesight was
not the best, the landmark would all too soon become the stumbling block,
causing the tortoise to rub his mud laiden body against the stupa’s base.
Over time, this caused the mud he had carried to fill in this crack. By
the virtue of such a positive karmic action, the land tortoise was reborn
in one of the gods’ realms. These are not contrived tales to delight an
audience; these were taught by the Buddha and were recorded in the Buddhist
sutras. All sentient beings have body, speech, and mind. And, although
we think of them all as being important, body and speech are like servants
of the mind. Continuing the thought further, they are wholly the manifestations
of the mind. Therefore, knowing the nature of the mind is important. Let
me take a moment to illustrate how the speech and the body are like servants
of the mind.
If the mind has a wish
to go, the body will move; if the mind has a wish to remain, the body will
be still. If the mind has the wish to communicate pleasantly, the speech
will convey pleasant sounds; if the mind has the wish to communicate unpleasantly,
the speech will reflect this. In order to benefit all sentient beings,
the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni taught the great vastness of the Dharma which
is extremely profound. It is said that his reason for doing this was solely
to enable sentient beings to realize the nature of mind.
Hence the entire corpus
of Dharma teachings, numbering eighty-four thousand collections, was given
essentially to benefit the mind.
I would now like to
clarify what is meant by nature of the mind with an illustration based
upon your own experience in a meditative setting. To begin with, completely
abandon any preoccupation with things past and any preoccupation with things
yet to come. Rest the mind without any distraction, for just a few moments,
allowing clarity to become the mind’s most apparent quality. Now in this
clarity, call to mind cities that are not too far away and not too close
(such as New York or Los Angeles), and actually see them with your mind.
Were the mind something substantial, something real and existent with the
quality of non-interdependence, then, before the mind could visualize a
distant city, it would have to cross many mountains, rivers, plains, and
so forth. However, because the mind is emptiness - insubstantial and interdependent
- it is able to call to mind a distant city (like New York) without any
arduous effort.
Now, taking our example
of these cities further, try calling to mind the vision of New York and
Los Angeles simultaneously. If the mind was substantial, something tangible,
and self-existent, then in order to see both places the mind would need
to cover the distance between New York and Los Angeles, which is many hours
by airplane, many months by walking. Fortunately, the minds insubstantial
nature (which is emptiness) allows us to be able to see New York City and
Los Angeles in the same instant.
Continuing further
in this illustration, consider that the entire sky, or the whole of space,
is infinite. Now, let the mind become vast like space. Completely embrace
the whole of space, completely fill the whole of space. Let it be so vast.
The ability to mix the mind indivisibly with space is also due to the mind’s
essential nature of emptiness. Emptiness means being completely devoid
of any descriptive characteristics, such as size, shape, color, or location.
The sky is completely vast, having no limit; and space, like sky, has no
boundaries, no periphery, and no limit. Mind, itself, can experience itself
as being inseparable and indistinguishable from space itself. This awareness
is recognizable during meditation.
However, who recognized
this awareness? What is this aware-ness? What size does it have? What color
is it? What can you say about it? Take a moment to consider this. Consider
that if formlessness or emptiness itself were the mind, then we would conclude
that the whole of space, or the emptiness of this room, or
wherever any emptiness
existed, would be mind. This is not the case because the emptiness, which
is mind, also has clarity. The very ability of being able to call to mind
the view of New York or Los Angeles, or whatever, demonstrates this aspect
of clarity.
Were there no such
clarity or luminosity, it would be equivalent to the complete absence of
sun, moon, stars, or any kind of light. This, however, is not our situation;
our experience of emptiness demonstrates luminosity and clarity. Were emptiness
and luminosity (or clarity) the mind, then, when the sun is shining in
the sky, this empty space and light of the sun would be mind. But this
is not our experience, because not
only does the mind
demonstrate emptiness and luminosity, it also has awareness, or consciousness.
This awareness is demonstrated in the ability to recognize that when you
call New York to mind, you know, “This is New York City.” This actual recognition
is awareness, or consciousness. Furthermore, this awareness is the same
awareness that is able to determine that the mind is empty and has clarity.
This fusion of emptiness, clarity, and awareness is what is meant by mind,
what has been termed mind.
Although the indivisibility
of these three qualities of mind has been variously labeled mind, consciousness,
awareness, and intellect, whatever name is given, mind is nevertheless
the union of emptiness, clarity, and awareness. This is the mind that experiences
pleasure; this is the mind that experiences pain. It is the mind that gives
rise to thought and notices thought. It is the mind that experiences all
phenomenal existence. There is nothing other than that. The Lord Buddha
taught that, from beginningless time, sentient beings have taken innumerable,
uncountable rebirths, and it is this emptiness, clarity, and awareness
that has taken these rebirths, time after time. This is undoubtedly true.
Until the realization
of enlightenment, in which the mind’s true nature is recognized, this emptiness,
clarity, and awareness will continue to take rebirth. There is no need
to have any doubt that the mind is insubstantial in its empty, clear awareness.
This truth can clearly be illustrated. Consider, for instance, when a child
is conceived, nobody actually sees this emptiness, clarity, and unimpededness
enter the womb, There is no way that the mother or father can say that
a mind of such-and-such a shape or size or
substance just entered
the womb and has now come into being. There is no form to be seen or measured
to demonstrate that a mind has entered the womb at that time. Right now
we all have mind, but we cannot find it. We cannot say that our mind has
a particular shape or any particular size or some particular location.
The reason we cannot find it and/or define it in this manner is because
it simply does not have any characteristics of shape or size, etc. Likewise,
when an individual dies, no one actually sees the mind leave the dead person’s
body.
No matter how many
people, whether in the hundreds, thousands, or millions, examine a dying
or dead person with microscopes, telescopes, or whatever instruments, they
are unable to see anything leaving the body. They cannot say that the corpse’s
mind has gone in any specific direction, neither “up there” nor
“out here.” This is
because the mind is devoid of any form. The fact that nobody can see what
another person is thinking is evidence, in and of itself, that the mind
is empty. This evening we have a large gathering of people. The lights
are on and everybody present can see very clearly. In this room everybody
is thinking a great deal and, although there is a vast array of mental
discursiveness, nobody can see anybody else’s discursive thought.
This non-seeing of
the mind’s true nature occurs because the mind has no form, no shape, etc.;
also, non-recognition occurs as a result of the obscuration of ignorance.
Such non-recognition causes one to constantly take rebirth, time and time
again. The Lord Buddha has said that because of the non-recognition, sentient
beings not only do not recognize the mind’s true nature, they also do not
perceive the law of karma (the law of cause and effect) and they continue
to create and accumulate karmic causes for
future rebirths without
being aware in any way of the effects of their actions.
If you recognize that
mind is emptiness, clarity, and unobstructed awareness, then you should
recognize that the you that performs an action, that accumulates karma
through action, is emptiness, clarity, and unobstructed awareness; and
the you that experiences some consequence as a result of that action is
also emptiness, clarity, and unobstructed awareness. Additionally, the
way that cause is carried to effect is also by means of the empty, clear,
and unobstructed awareness. If you can see that, and fully understand
that, you will attain
the state of buddhahood. In that state, you will be completely free from
any further karmic fruition, as buddhahood is completely beyond any further
reaping of past action. And, this freedom is still emptiness, clarity,
and unobstructed awareness.
The nature of karma
and the true nature of the mind are essentially the same. However, what
is recognized and experienced by sentient beings is the karmic cause and
effect of ignorance, while what is experienced by a buddha, who has completely
gone beyond the cause and effect of action, has no karmic fruition. This
is why enlightenment
is called true liberation.
One characteristic
of sentient existence is that the veil of ignorance limits the experience
of sentient beings to the samsaric realm then being experienced. As a result,
there are many who may believe that there is no such thing as a hell realm
experience. Many think that it is impossible that such a realm of suffering
exists. Further, this disbelief carries over and becomes an unbelief in
the existence of the hungry ghost realm or the gods’ realms.
People tend to believe
only in the human and animal realms because everything they can see is
of those realms. However, to exemplify the limits of this perception, let
us consider not only the teachings of the Lord Buddha, but also those of
such teachers as the third Gyalwa Karmapa, who repeatedly emphasized the
illusory nature of all appearance and all the realms. Let us consider the
situation of the dream. While dreaming, one conjures up all kinds of seemingly
real experiences, and one can seemingly experience a great deal of happiness
and/or suffering. All the various emotions and experiences of the dream
appear to be real.
Yet, although one believes
the experience to be something completely real and existent during the
dream, it is obvious that this belief is delusional. As insubstantial,
arising mental projections, dreams have no reality whatsoever. One recognizes
this when one awakens from the dream.
Compare this example
of the dream to the perception of the six realms of samsara. Sentient beings
continually experience one or more of these realms, rebirth after rebirth.
Not all of these realms appear to the five human senses, yet this does
not validate their lack of existence. In one sense they do exist, in that
these are the realms in which the deluded nature of the mind reincarnates.
Bound by the ignorance
of delusion, sentient beings experience these realms, in one lifetime after
another, believing their illusory experience to be real. However great
the delusion of sentient beings, this does not ultimately substantiate
these realms to be anything more than mere mental projections. From the
viewpoint of absolute reality, the six realms of samsara are completely
with-out independent reality.
In a very poetic verse,
the Buddha Shakyamuni questioned who made all the hot iron pavement, with
its incessant flames and burning fire, in the hell realm. Was there any
blacksmith who made that iron pavement? Was there any store of wood that
caused the continuous fire? No, it is caused by karmic fruition, by the
individual karmic accumulation, which results from misconceived clinging
to the illusion of self and other as being substantial. If we are to avoid
the suffering of continual reincarnation, we must apply ourselves to practice
and recognize, to a degree at least, that the mind’s true nature is emptiness,
clarity, and unimpeded awareness. Then can we begin to understand and recognize
the truth concerning the way in which phenomena are experienced in the
realms of samsara. If one does not have the understanding of mind’s true
nature, then this truth is really difficult to grasp or understand, and
one continues to suffer from this delusion of conceptual reality.
All sentient beings
have body, speech, and mind, foolishly clinging to these three facets as
being the illusory self. If one practices negative actions, then the fruition
of these actions takes place in one of the lower realms through the gates
of body, speech, and mind. If one practices virtuous action, or positive
karmic trends, then it is these same gates that experience the result as
rebirth in the superior states of the three higher realms. Also, it is
practicing the path of Buddhadharma with body, speech, and mind that allows
one to recognize the enlightened nature of body, speech, and mind, for
it is these same three gates that are bound in samsara and that are also
liberated through enlightenment. In recognizing that the development and
experience of all sentient beings are not concurrent or universal, nor
even necessarily similar, the Lord Buddha taught broad overviews, termed
the triyanas, to help open these three gates to liberation.
If one wishes to construct
a three-story building, then one must start with the ground floor, continue
by adding the next story, then the third, until one has completed the building.
If one wishes to practice and understand the full meaning of the Buddhadharma,
one can utilize the three yanas - the hinayana, the mahayana, and the vajrayana.
By practicing the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, one can utilize these
three vehicles in unison. One of these three yanas, namely the hinayana,
deals with controlling personal behavior and emotionality through the rejection,
abandonment, and avoidance of erroneous and mistaken behavior. Erroneous
behavior of the body is killing, stealing, or harming others, specifically
through sexual misconduct; mistaken behavior of the speech is lying, causing
disharmony and/or discord; and so on. One must completely spurn and abandon
such behavior. Refusal to practice any form of harmful behavior towards
others helps one to maintain the discipline of meditative absorption while
employing the practices we term in Tibetan zhinay (Skt.: shamatha), which
stills the mind, and lhatong (Skt. vipashyana), which observes the mind’s
nature. Thus, the whole principle of the hinayana doctrine lies in the
abandonment of all harmful actions, and in the maintenance of meditative
absorption.
No doubt you have seen
that many ‘Tibetan lamas wear robes of maroon and saffron colors, which
are similar to the robes that the Lord Buddha once wore. These robes are
a sign of their having taken special ordinations. Householders, persons
who have a responsibility to their families, will seek less restrictive
ordination, which, in Tibetan, are referred to as genyen. Depending upon
his or her circumstances and the desire to follow ordination, the householder’s
vows can number three, four, or five. The basic three vows forsake killing,
stealing, and lying. Additionally, one can vow abstinence from intoxicating
substances, and/or abstinence from sexual activity. The novice monk and
nun take vows that are thirty-six in number, which include the basic genyen
vows. Beyond this level exists the ordinations of the fully-ordained monk
and nun, which number in the several hundreds.
Both the novice and
the full ordinations are based upon the hinayana approach of practice;
a person demonstrates they are observing these ordinations by the wearing
of robes. One’s Dharma practice should be based in the hinayana (regardless
of whether or not one wishes to take special vows to demonstrate one’s
practice of the hinayana vehicle), as this is the basis of all practice.
It is perfectly alright if one chooses not to be ordained as a monk or
nun, because one accomplishes this path not by wearing robes, but by completely
abandoning the ten negative actions and by instilling virtuous, wholesome
behavior through the practice of the ten virtuous actions of body, speech,
and mind. One does this with an understanding of karmic con-sequences and
by knowing why it is better to lead a life based on positive rather than
negative action, One actively employs this vehicle as an outer discipline,
which equates to having constructed the foundation for one’s house. Or,
in the case of the three story building, one has completed the lower story.
However, even if one were to perfect this practice, the complete realization
of buddhahood would still be very distant. One needs to construct the second
story of our illustrative dwelling, which in this case
is the path of the
mahayana. With a foundation of hinayana purity derived by completely abandoning
any harmful activity, one begins upon the path of the mahayana, which is
the path of unifying emptiness and compassion.
Let us again consider
the meaning of emptiness. All sentient beings have mind and all identify
with this mind. So, one thinks, “I am this mind,” and one thinks, “I am,”
thereby contributing to the formulations of a variety of likes and dislikes,
of aversions and attractions to different phenomena. Although it has absolutely
no self whatsoever, this mind has an incidental clinging to a self as being
something or someone real. Observing the true nature of mind and discovering
that it is devoid of any descriptive characteristics (such as size, shape,
color, or location) is to recognize that mind, in essence, is emptiness.
In the hinayana practice,
little emphasis is placed upon the recognition of the emptiness of all
phenomena; instead, this view of emptiness is attained by seeing the emptiness
of personality. It is simply not enough to recognize the emptiness of personality,
however, or to recognize that mind itself is empty and devoid of any substantiality.
One needs to recognize the void nature of all phenomena, and in so doing,
one proceeds to enter the path of the mahayana.
The Prajna Paramita
Sutra, or the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, is the primary source of the
teaching on emptiness in Buddhadharma. Basically, this sutra points out
that mind is emptiness in categorically stating that “there is no form;
there is no feeling; there is no sensation; there is no taste; there is
no touch.” In presenting the teaching that all these things are actually
empty, this sutra is regarded as the core of elucidation on this topic.
Its concept is the basis of the meditative practice that has developed
in several
schools, most notably
in the Buddhist orders in Japan. Emphasis is placed on recognizing the
emptiness of form, the emptiness of sound, the emptiness of feeling, the
emptiness of smell, and so on. In short, all sensory appearances are recognized
as being empty. This realization is achieved by seeing that the mind itself,
that all appearances perceived and/or experienced by the mind, are, in
fact, mental projections. They are the mind’s play; as mind itself is insubstantial,
so too are these projections.
The main line from
the Prajna Paramita Sutra describing this says, “Form is void, void is
form; form is no other than void, voidness is no other than form.” If someone
were to say to you, “There is no sound, no form, no feeling; there is truly
nothing real,” then you might not believe that. You will reply that you
have these definite, real experiences of these sensory sensations: you
hear sound; you actually see form, etc. This term void does not imply nothingness,
but, rather, it infers the interdependence and insubstantiality of all
phenomena. In this sense, all phenomena are considered empty or void of
any absolute reality. The dream is frequently used as an example of this.
While in the dream
state, one can dream up an entire experience with a total environment,
and one can experience that as having form, feeling, sound, etc. The dream
appears extremely real. Still, there is no reality whatsoever in the dream
existence, for with the moment of awakening, it all completely vanishes.
The dream experience is believed to be real during the time of the dream,
yet it is obviously a projection of the mind. The aim of the practitioner
is to recognize that the experience of present phenomena is also merely
a projection that has no substantial being. Let me remind you that the
basis of this discourse lies in the teachings of the Buddha Shakyamuni
and the third Gyalwa Karmapa [Rangjung Dorje, 1284-13391. Both taught that
all phenomena are insubstantial, like a dream, like a reflection in a mirror,
like an illusion, like a rainbow. In seeing that all appearance (not only
one’s mind and emotions) is luminous, unimpeded suchness, one recognizes
that all external appearance, which is also arising from the mind, is only
mental projection.
The basis of the mahayana
practice differs from the hinayana in that one does not practice abandonment,
rejection, etc. Instead, in mahayana, one deals with one’s behavior in
a manner of transformation. For example, if the desire to harm another
sentient being arises on the crest of a wave of great anger, then one immediately
applies the antidote of compassion; the energy of the anger is thereby
transformed into compassion. One does not deal with an emotion simply by
cutting it off; rather, one uses compassion to transform it on the basis
of its inherent insubstantiality.
In their ignorance,
sentient beings think all that they experience is real, and their misconception
entails their experiencing a great deal of suffering. Ones sees that all
sentient beings are experiencing the illusory manifestations of the three
bodies (the fully ripened, the habitual tendency, and the mental bodies),
and that they are completely locked in these illusions. Recognizing the
habitual clinging of these three categories of sentient phenomena as being
only illusory appearance, then one recognizes emptiness.
By recognizing that
one’s delusion and habitual clinging cause suffering, an intense compassion
can arise. The recognition of emptiness itself is referred to as wisdom,
and the arising compassion is referred to by the term means. The path of
recognizing the emptiness of these three categories of phenomena, and of
developing compassion for all those experiencing such delusion, is the
path of mahayana, and this path has its pinnacle in the union of means
and wisdom.
Having attained both
great compassion and wisdom, one has then finished constructing the second
floor of this three story building. The full attainment of buddhahood is
still very distant, however, since one must still practice the six perfections
(paramitas), (generosity, moral conduct, patience, diligence, meditative
contemplation, and wisdom) for many lifetimes, for many kalpas, progressing
slowly and steadily through the stages of bodhisattva development, until
one finally attains buddhahood. This takes considerable effort and an unimaginable
amount of time, yet practicing mahayana is very beneficial. During the
great lapse of time before one attains buddhahood, one can benefit a great
number of sentient beings, and, of course, oneself. But the only way to
achieve rapid progress along the path to enlightenment is to
practice vajrayana.
In vajrayana, one goes
one step further and does not apply any specific antidote of abandoning
or of transforming. Instead, one merely recognizes the true nature of the
mind. By recognizing the nature of action, emotion, and so on, there is
instantaneous liberation. This is why the vajrayana path is very rapid
and is a most powerful method. How does one apply this path of recognition
First, one recognizes that the body is the form of the deity. The form
of the deity being the union of void and appearance, one recognizes that
this body has the clarity of the rainbow, has the unimpededness of the
reflection of the moon in water, and has the insubstantialness of the reflection
in a mirror. In this recognition, one has realized the nature of the body
as being devoid of form.
Second, one recognizes
that all speech and all sound is the sound of mantra. In hearing all sound
as being mantra, one recognizes that all sound is devoid of substance,
insubstantial like an echo.
Third, one recognizes
the mind with all the thought, concepts, cognition, awareness, emotion,
etc., as being similar to a wavering mirage in the distance that the deer,
thinking it is water, come to drink. One recognizes that all mind,
all cognition, is like a mirage which is vacant of consciousness. If one
realizes the form void, the sound void, and the consciousness void, then
one has completely liberated clinging.
This is the basis of
the path of the vajrayana. If one applies oneself to this path in the same
way as Jetsün Milarepa and many others, then one can attain complete
enlightenment in this very lifetime. Even if one does not realize enlightenment
in this life-time, the blessings of the yidam and the power of the mantra
enable one to realize liberation in the after-death bardo state. In either
case, enlightenment transpires because one has developed and established
a good habit in the practice of recognizing all phenomena as having the
true nature of the form, mantra, and samadhi of the yidam.
This habit can quickly
instill one with the ability to realize all visual phenomena as form void,
all sound as sound void, and all levels of the skandas as being inherently
void of causal reality. In the bardo state after death, the mind is exactingly
potent and extremely powerful. By applying the vajrayana method, one can
instantly accomplish a deep state of meditation and thus gain liberation
from suffering in the six realms of samsara. One can end the cycle of karmic
rebirth and gain the threshold of mastery of the three yanas, thus enabling
one to move in and out of substantial phenomena at will. To illustrate
the way vajrayana accomplishment has been demonstrated by a great teacher,
I will now tell you a story about Jetsün Milarepa.
One time Jetsün
Milarepa, the yogi saint of Tibet, was meditating in an isolated cave,
absorbed in samadhi. Some extremely hungry hunters, who had been unsuccessful
in their hunt, came to this cave. As they entered, they saw an emaciated
Jetsün Milarepa sitting there. Somewhat frightened, they inquired,
“Are you a ghost or are you a man?” Jetsün Milarepa replied quietly,
“I am a man.” “If you are a man, give us something to eat. We are all very
hungry and our hunt is fruitless.”
But I have nothing
to offer you. I have nothing to eat. I am just sitting here absorbed in
meditation,” replied Milarepa. “Nonsense,” they said, “you must be hiding
some kind of food here somewhere. Give us some food!” They were extremely
hungry and became very angry when Jetsün Milarepa again replied that
he had absolutely nothing to eat. The hunters decided to torment and abuse
the great yogi Milarepa. Firing arrows at him, they were astounded to see
that The arrows could not penetrate him. Some of the arrows were deflected
straight upwards, some to the left, and some to the right. Some even deflected
directly back at the hunters, who became even more infuriated. They then
tried to topple him over and injure him by throwing rocks, but somehow
Milarepa floated up into the air, like a very light piece of paper. When
they threw water on him, the water miraculously vanished. Trying with all
their might to throw him into the river nearby, Jetsün Milarepa foiled
their efforts by floating in the space above them. No matter what they
did to inflict harm, they were totally ineffectual.
This illustrates Milarepa’s
realization of form void. They had no success because his physical being
was form void, his speech and melody were sound void, Additionally, their
experience of his unperturbability during this incident demonstrated his
being void of karmic fruition. If we have the diligence and the wisdom
to apply the skillful means of vajrayana, then we too can realize liberation
while we still have the opportunity of this precious human existence.
If one has a precious
human existence enabling one to understand mind’s true nature, and if one’s
understanding is of the most excellent degree, the result will be the realization
of the mahamudra. Even if one does not gain this full level of under-standing,
the slightest understanding of the nature of mind can give one the ability
to meditate with comfort and ease. In fact, even without an average degree
of understanding, simply hearing and knowing a little bit about mind’s
true nature can be extremely beneficial. It enables one to apply oneself
to all kinds of worldly activity that benefits many beings.
We have now discussed
several different methods (or vehicles) for obtaining buddhahood. But the
best method of all is that which leads to the understanding of the meaning
of the mahamudra. If the nature of the mind is recognized, one is a buddha.
If it is not recognized, one is confused and is a sentient being. Although
the basis of mahamudra is easy to understand, putting it into practice
can be difficult because one clings to one’s obscurations. Due to ignorance,
the obscuration of knowledge causes habits of mental afflictions and/or
of emotionality to arise, which in turn give rise to karmic action. The
presence of these four veils of obscuration that cloud our enlightened
awareness is similar to the presence of clouds in the sky which prevent
the sunlight from brightening the day.
In the Hevajra Tantra
it is said that sentient beings are buddhas, but, because of their obscurations
they do not recognize this. If sentient beings can dispel these obscurations,
they will become buddhas. There are two ways to do this. One way is comprised
of four practices that are called the foundational practices in Tibetan
Buddhism. These involve an accumulation of prostrations, refuge vows, purification
mantras, mandala offerings, and supplications to the tsaway lama. Additionally,
this way focuses upon bringing the visualization practice through the development
and completion stages of vajrayana meditation. The other way was evolved
in the hinayana traditions. It involves various methods of meditation that
fall into two main categories: zhinay (shamatha), or tranquility meditation,
comprised of methods with and without support; and lhatong (vipashyana),
or insight meditation, which includes many different methods of meditative
approach. Either way, these methods can lead to the realization of mahamudra,
or true liberation.
In either approach,
it is important to meditate using zhinay, translated into English as tranquility.
In defining the two Tibetan words that represent the concept of zhinay,
we find the terms pacification and abiding. These refer to the pacifying
of the mind of its mental afflictions or emotions, and through this the
gaining of the ability to abide with the mind resting one-pointedly. It
is considered that without some development of tranquility of mind, one
will not be able to perform any other kind of meditation. This is the reason
why zhinay is important. According to one tradition, one begins by meditating
upon zhinay before one performs the foundational practices of Tibetan Buddhism,
while another tradition says that one should begin by performing the foundational
practices and there-after meditate upon tranquility and insight.
The reasoning upon
which both methods are based is equally correct, thus either method may
provide results. The effectiveness of the first tradition lies in one beginning
with mastering, or at least experiencing, tranquility before commencing
the foundational practices; this procedure allows one to gain control over
one’s mind so that the objects of meditation appear very clearly. The other
tradition states that one will not be able to perform zhinay properly without
first dispelling one’s obscurations through practices of purification,
thus accumulating the merit and wisdom gained from the foundational practices.
If one performs the zhinay practice after the foundational practices, then
one will be able to perform excellent and effortless zhinay.
Both viewpoints are
correct. In introducing these approaches to recognizing the true nature
of the mind, it is appropriate to encourage you to strive within your abilities
to grasp these concepts and to apply them in your life. knowing a little
of the mind’s nature can be very beneficial, even in a worldly sense. You
can generally improve any meditation practice you use by recognizing that
the intense clinging to a belief in a self (with its emotions, thoughts,
etc.) as being some-thing real makes it almost impossible to meditate.
If you wish to hold the mind in equipoise and meditate one-pointedly, such
clinging prevents this from happening. Even if you wish to give rise to
the very clear visualization of the yidam, this dinging also veils your
view. If, however, you recognize and see mind’s true nature as emptiness,
clarity, and unimpeded awareness, then all meditation becomes easy.
Copyright 1994, Elizabeth
Selandia, O.M.D., C.A.
All rights reserves.
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