Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

“In these times of rampant consumerism and rapid technological and cultural change, more and more people are searching for a spiritual path that will help them live more meaningful lives and find deep inner peace,” writes Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, in his Guidelines for Students. [1]

Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche is an exemplar of the Tibetan high lama who excels in teaching Western students—having taught in the West, as Spiritual Director at Gaden for the West, for over four decades. He is popular not only because of high realizations, but also his ability to deliver teachings so that any student can understand. His compassion, patience, ready smile, and ability to teach in English (and several other languages) are reasons students around the world watch his schedule for local teachings.

The wait is over for those in Toronto. Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche returns for a month of profound teachings: everything from the all-important Lam Rim foundations through to Guru and Deity Yoga practices, and even—for advanced and diligent practitioners willing to maintain commitments—Highest Yoga Tantric initiations and Chod initiation. (Details of events below.)

So Many Choices

To have the opportunity to take initiation from a highly realized teacher is a rare opportunity. But how do you choose a practice?

Rinpoche explains, in his “Guidelines for Students“:

“Ask yourself about the state of your Dharma practice and where it is at this point in your life. Ultimately you have to take responsibility of your own Dharma practice. The teacher is not going to practice for you. If you do not practice Dharma, no teacher anywhere can transform you into a Buddha. According to the Buddhist teaching of Tathagatagharba, we all have Buddha nature naturally, and we are all destined to become a Buddha sometime in the future, but there is no Enlightenment without Dharma practice. Buddha said life is like a dream. It is as transient as a flash of lightning; twenty, forty, sixty, eighty years pass as quickly as clouds moving across the sky. We think there is time, but there is not. We will all die one day. We have to be serious Dharma practitioners now. Organizing our own Dharma practice means being aware of time: what practices do we have the time and energy to do before death comes?” [5]

Rinpoche will deliver all teachings at Gaden Choling Mahayana Buddhist Meditation Centre, at 637 Christie Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

From Lamrim Foundations to Highest Yoga Practice, Something for Everyone

This month-long round of intense teachings has it all. Buddhist practitioners at all levels can benefit from the teachings on Lama Tsongkhapa and Lamrim. More advanced practitioners in quest of wisdom will be excited to learn Rinpoche is initiating serious students in White Manjushri. In these stressful times, the long life practices of Amitayus can be helpful. Rare Chod practices may suit the compassionate and serious practitioners who are willing to give their all to sentient beings. And, for the very advanced student, already seriously practicing deity yoga, Rinpoche will give teachings and initiations in Highest Yoga Tantra.

These precious practices represent a proven path to Enlightenment, from the basic Lamrim practices to the meaningful Deity Yoga, to “cutting ego” practices of Chod, to the very profound Highest Yoga Tantra practices.

Weekend of Sept 26-27

Lama Tsongkapa’s Guru Yoga Path of Clear Light and Bliss and Three Principle Paths of Lamrim

“Guru Yoga means the “yoga that finds our Guru” and is the practice where we merge our mind with the wisdom of our root Guru and Yidam who we see as one being,” explains the poster from Gaden Choling Mahayana Buddhist Meditation Centre.

Rinpoche will teach this yoga meditation—suitable for most Buddhists with faith. Lam Rim and Guru Yoga are important foundation practices.

About Lamrim

Lamrim is the “graduated path”, containing the complete teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, in a step-by-step form suitable for any student. Famously, the great Lama Tsonkhapa wrote The Great Exposition on The Gradual Path to Enlightenment (Lamrim Chenmo), possibly the most comprehensive manual of Buddhist practice (now translated to English, in three hefty volumes>> ) [3]

About Guru Yoga

Guru Yoga is often misunderstood, and conceptually awkward for some Westerners due to its emphasis on the Guru. The great Padmasambhava said: “one should reflect upon the qualities of the guru and make request to him.” [1]

It is often said that the root of attainments comes from the Guru, who gave you the teachings. Lama Zopa Rinpoche describes the guru as “the virtuous friend” and explains that the root of attainments came from the Guru. He said, “When you think of Buddha—the deities in sadhanas, for example—remember that they are manifestations of your guru; and when you see, hear, or remember your gurus, remember that they are Buddha. As His Holiness Zong Rinpoche used to explain, when you think of Shakyamuni Buddha, if you think of the guru, you receive greater blessing and by visualizing the guru in the aspect of Buddha, you receive blessing more quickly. When you think of Buddhas and are naturally aware that they are the guru and when you see, hear, or remember your guru and are naturally aware that they are Buddha, at that time you have the realization of guru devotion.” [1]

About Lama Je Tsongkhapa

Lama Je Tsongkahapa (1357-1419) embodies the ideals of three great Bodhisattvas: Compassionate Avalokitesvara (Chenrezig), wise Manjushri and powerful Vajrapani. He “is an important master of Tibetan Buddhism and founder of the Gelug school…” according to Bhikshuni Thubten Chodren’s website.

Time: 10:00AM – 5:00PM both Saturday and Sunday

Prerequisites: none

Fee: $25 per day or $40 for the weekend

Wednesday Sept 30

Chod Initiation (Ganden Ear-Whispered Lineage)

Note: Advanced practice, requires commitments and vows

“Chod practice was developed by Mahig Labdron, a highly realized Dakini from the 12th century,” explains the Gaden Choling poster for the event. “The purpose of the practice is to develop wisdom and compassion; to heal the sick, remove obstacles, and to purify an environment of negative forces using peaceful means.”

Chod means “to cut”, as in to “cut the ego”. Chod practice is, arguably, the most misunderstood practice among non-practitioners, due to the intense visualizations some people describe as haunting and almost overwhelming moving. Chod is among the most profound of the purification practices in Vajrayana. There is no faster way to “cut the ego.”

Time: 7:00PM – 9:00PM

Prerequisites: Foundation practices and serious practice

Commitments: daily commitment to recite Gate mantras daily, together with Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows.

Fee: $40 for evening

Friday Oct 2

Preparation Initiation of Yamantaka Vajrabhairava

Note: Highest Yoga Practice With Serious Commitments

“Yamantaka is a very important meditation deity of the Highest Yoga Tantra class,” explains the event poster. “He is one of the three principal meditational deities of the Gelug school (the others are Charkasamvara and Guhyasamaja).”

Yamantaka was the main yidam practice of the great Lama Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa school. With Yamantaka practice, he achieved Enlightenment in his lifetime.

About Yamantaka

Yamantaka is a “wrathful deity”, often considered the fiercest of the fierce, since he “conquered death” itself. (See this Buddha Weekly feature on Wrathful Deities>>)

Yamantaka (literally meaning “destroyer of death”), also known as Vajrabhairava (meaning “Adamantine Destroyer”), is a Highest Yoga Tantra practice and should only be considered by advanced students. This is not only because it comes with serious commitments, but because it requires a strong foundation in precursor practices such as Guru Yoga, Creation Yoga (Kriya Tantra), and Purification practices.

Time: 7:00PM – 9:00PM

Prerequisites: Foundation practices and serious previous practice in deity yoga and Guru yoga

Commitments: Although this is preparation for the main initiation on Saturday, the main initiation has a major daily sadhana commitment together with Refuge, Bodhisattva Vows, AND Tantric Vows.

Fee: BOTH Friday and Saturday $50 total or $35 total for Seniors/Students

Saturday Oct 3

Main Yamantaka Initiation with Commitment, Bodhisattva and Tantric Vows and Including Six Session Guru Yoga daily practice

Note: Highest Yoga Practice With Serious Commitments

“Having undergone the preparation initiation for this profound practice, initiates will receive the four great empowerments The Abhisheka is the gateway to the practice of Tantra,” explains the event poster. “This Highest Yoga Tantra practice requires vows and daily commitments which are meant to be taken very seriously.”

Yamantaka is one of the main meditation deities of the Gelugpa tradition. The practice is intended for practitioners who have foundation practices and who are willing to commit to a serious, unbreakable daily commitment.

About Annutarayoga Tantra (Highest Yoga Tantra)

Highest Yoga Tantra is not for light practice or “lazy practice” as it’s sometimes called. Highest Yoga Tantra, on the other hand, if one has the will, powerfully cuts through the obstacles to our Enlightenment.

As Alexander Berzin put it in his talk on Yamantaka Practice (June 2013): “What is it that is going to prevent us from attaining that state of a Buddha? Our own confusion, our own laziness, our own bad temper and anger, our own attachments. This is the real enemy – it’s all these disturbing emotions and negative attitudes in our own minds. So we really need some very, very strong force not to just give in and let ourselves be ruled by this confusion. We need a combination of compassion – we want to help others – and force and strength that “I’m not going to let all this junk that’s going on in my mind prevent me from being able to help others,” like laziness: “I don’t feel like doing it. I don’t feel like going and helping somebody.” You have to cut through that. So we have to use some very strong energy.”

In other words, Highest Yoga Tantra gives us that very strong energy, and helps us cut through the obstacles, but it requires commitment and experience to harness it. [4]

About Yamantaka Vajrabhairava

Yamantaka literally means “the one who puts an end to death.” The force that can put an end to Death must be the strongest of the strong, the most forceful of the forceful, the most wrathful of the wrathful—but a force motivated by compassion and wisdom. Yamantaka is, in fact, an aspect of Manjushri, the great and peaceful Buddha of Wisdom.

The practice is explained by Alexander Berzin in his talk in Moscow: “In the Gelug tradition this became very, very strongly practiced. In this system of putting together the three practices of these three deity systems – Guhyasamaja, Chakrasamvara, and Yamantaka or Vajrabhairava (two names) – Yamantaka is the container within which the other two practices can be included. And all the protector practices that are done in the Gelug tradition are all done within the context of oneself arising as Yamantaka.”

Time: 2:00PM – 6:00PM

Prerequisites: MUST HAVE TAKEN PREPARATION INITIATION OF YAMANTAKA, Friday Oct 2.

Commitments: This initiation has a major daily sadhana commitment together with Refuge, Bodhisattva Vows, AND Tantric Vows and Daily Six Session Guru Yoga.

Fee: BOTH Friday and Saturday $50 total or $35 total for Seniors/Students

Wednesday Oct 7

White Manjushri Initiation

Note: Commitment, Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows

“White Manjushri is a Buddha of wisdom whose practice is powerful for helping us to clear our mind and for helping us to gain a deep understanding of Dharma practice,” explains the event poster. “This method will improve and recover memories that may have weakened due to mental/physical pain and old age.”

It was from Manjushri that Lama Tsongkhapa, after engaging in a 4 year retreat in a cave, directly received teachings. Just as wisdom has many forms and faces, Manjushri has many forms, white, orange, green, blue, white, four-armed and in fierce aspects such as the great Yamantaka, 4-faced Mahakala and Black Manjushri.

This initiation in White Manjushri is well-known for its effectiveness in helping students develop the wisdom understanding emptiness, but more immediately it is known for improvement of cognitive abilities, memory — and is helpful preventing early age-related memory loss, or even forms of Dementia. (See this Buddha Weekly story on the effectiveness of visualized meditation on Alzhiemer’s>> )

Time: 7:00PM – 9:00PM

Commitments: This initiation has commitment together with Refuge, Bodhisattva Vows.

Fee: $40

Sunday Oct 18

Vajrayogini Initiation

Note: Highest Yoga Tanttra with serious Commitments including Tsog offering 2 times per month, taking of Bodhisattva and Tantric vows.

“Venerable Vajrayogini Practice is the essence of all mother Tantras: a very sacred practice,” explains the event poster. “One could reach the state of Vajrayogini-hood and Her realizations within this lifetime.”

About Vajrayogini

Vajrayogini is among the highest practices aspired to by many serious practitioners. These serious practitioners are most fortunate. To take Vajrayogini initiation, previous Highest Yoga Tantra initiation is required, in this case Yamantaka Initiation. Only serious students, able to commit significant time daily to practice, should consider Vajrayogini initiation.

Vajrayogini is first and most important among the Dakinis. She is considered the “Sarva Buddha Dakini” the Dakini Who is the Essence of All Buddhas. Her radiant body is ablaze, dancing with the heat of yogic fire, surrounded by the flames of wisdom.

Time: 2:00PM – 6:00PM

Prerequisites: MUST HAVE TAKEN FULL TWO-DAY INITIATION OF YAMANTAKA.

Commitments: This initiation has a major daily commitment and twice-monthly Tsog Offering requirement (offering feast), together with Refuge, Bodhisattva Vows, AND Tantric Vows.

Fee: $50 or $35 total for Seniors/Students

Sunday Oct 21

Amitayus Long Life Initiation

Note: Commitment: Bodhisattva vow.

“Amitayus is the Buddha of Long Life. Through the practice of Buddha Amitayus yoga, we can develop the siddhi of long life and have opportunities to practice Buddha Dharma while we are alive, obtaining highest realizations like the great masters Milarepa and Mahasiddha Rechunpa, lineage holders of this practice,” explains the event poster. “In order to overcome obstacles of long life and increase our lifespan, we practice the method and yoga of Buddha Amitayus.”

The Buddha of Infinite Life is none other than Amitabha in the form of the Buddha of Long life and Increase. While outwardly, His practice is known for also increasing good health, helpful friends and living conditions supportive of Dharma practice, the deeper benefits include a greater understanding of the Dharma, and support for practicing morality. Like Amitabha, his light removes the darkness of ignorance.

In his visualization, he typically holds a long-life vase filled with the nectar of immortality. Students often offer Amitayus practice to their teachers and Gurus, requesting they live long and teach and spread the Dharma.

Time: 7:00PM – 9:00PM

Commitments: Bodhisattva Vow.

Fee: $40

About Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

Rinpoche is the spiritual guide for Gaden for the West—with several meditation centres across Canada, Australia and the United States. He travels extensively, teaching several times each year in parts of Canada, Australia, the US and Mongolia. Rinpoche received many teachings and initiations from other great lamas, legendary teachers such as: Yongzin Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Thupten Wanggyel, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Venerable Lati Rinpoche, Venerable Tara Tulku Rinpoche and Venerable Khalkha Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche. (More about Zasep Tulku Rinpoche>>)

About Gaden Choling Toronto

Gaden Choling Mahayana Buddhist Meditation Centre is among the oldest Tibetan Buddhist Centres in Canada, having celebrated its 30th year this year.
An event poster celebrating the event described Gaden Choling this way: “It is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist centres in Canada and has been a source of refuge for many practitioners of Buddha Dharma over the years. Many great spiritual teachers, such as Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Tara Tulku Rinpoche and HH Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche have given many amazing holy teachings and initiations at Gaden Choling.” More about Gaden Choling’s 30th Anniversary>>)

Location

Gaden Choling Mahayana Buddhist Meditation Centre

637 Christie Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Gaden Choling Website>>

POSTER of EVENT

NOTES

[1] “The Kindness of the Guru” by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche

[2] “5 Reasons I Haven’t Settled on a Buddhist School – In search of Buddhism’s most immaculate vehicle” by Brent R. Oliver, Trycicle Aug 18, 2015

[3] The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Volume 1 Paperback: 440 pages

• Publisher: Snow Lion; Reprint edition (Dec 9 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559394420
•  ISBN-13: 978-1559394420

The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Volume 2

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Snow Lion (Dec 9 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559394439
•  ISBN-13: 978-1559394437        

The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Volume 3

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Snow Lion; 1 edition (Nov. 19 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559391669
•  ISBN-13: 978-1559391665

[4] “Introduction to Vajrabhairava System of Anuttarayoga Tantra” speaking engagement in Moscow Russia, June 2014, Alexander Berzin.

[5] “Revised Guidelines for the Dharma Students of Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche” , Canada 2013

The post Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, Spiritual Director of Gaden for the West, Returns to Toronto for a Month of Precious Teachings in September and October appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

On Sept 11 at 1:30am, Kyabje Choden Rinpoche showed the aspect of passing away at Sera Jey Monastery.

“With great sadness, we must convey to you the news of His Eminence Choden Rinpoche’s passing into dharamadhatu,” writes Choden Lobrang in a letter to students and friends. (Sera Jey Monastery, South India, Sept 11, 2015).

Today, September 14, “At 11:05 this morning Rinpoche came out of clear light meditation (Thugdam). People can now come and pay respect to Rinpoche’s holy body between 2:00pm today and until tomorrow at 8:00am,” reports His Eminence’s Facebook page. “There has also been another evening of prayers and recitation here at the house. The self initiations continued with Cittimani Tara, and preparations for the Holy cremation. Last nights text recitations included the wonderful Essence of Nectar by Yeshe Tsöndru. Its like a very condensed Lam Rim and is highly recommended. This was then followed by Bodhisattva Charyavatara then Praise of Dependent Origination recited through till dawn.”

Remembering HE Choden Rinpoche: The Hidden Meditator

Choden Rinpoche of Sera Je Monastery was one of the highest Gelug lamas. He was the “hidden meditator” for 19 years. Famously, during the communist Chinese takeover of Tibet in 1959, Choden Rinpoche never left a tiny, dark room in Lhasa. From 1965 to 1985, he remained in solitary retreat, never leaving the room even to go to the bathroom. [1]

Choden Rinpoche recalled the day the Communist soldiers besieged the monastery in an article in Mandala Magazine. The soldiers “rounded up all the monks and put us in a courtyard. After this they ransacked the whole monastery. All the monks were circled by soldiers with their weapons. We’d heard that in eastern Tibet the soldiers had rounded up all the monks and shot them dead, so everyone was frightened that would happen. From dawn to sunset the monks were all standing in the courtyard.” [2] They were told they’d be taken to be killed, but ‘luckily’ they were imprisoned instead. After one month in prison, he became ill and was taken to a hospital. The next few years were very difficult for all the monks in Tibet, but after the Cultural Revolution in 1965 they became even more dangerous. Without texts, drum, bell or vajra, Rinpoche went into extensive retreat.

Rinpoche’s attendant at the time, Venerable Tseten Gelek, remembers that time: “He spent all his time on that bed, meditating… They had to change the bedding once a month because it got smelly from the sweat. He used a bedpan as a toilet… Until 1980 he didn’t talk to anybody, only the person who brought food to his room.”

His Eminence explained, “The main thing I wanted to do was practice Dharma sincerely, no matter what external factors were arising.” [2]

Early Life of His Eminence

Born in 1933, Choden Rinpoche was recognized at the age of three as a Tulku. At seven, His Holiness Pabongka Rinpoche gave ordination to Choden Rinpoche. H.E. Choden Rinpoche remembered that time fondly: “I was 6 when I met Pabongka. I really admired everything he did: the way he walked, the way he dressed, everything. I felt, ‘if only I could be like him.'”[2]

At the age of seventeen he enrolled in Sera Je Monastery. He became an prominent student of His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche. “His main gurus are Pabongka Rinpoche, Trijang Rinpoche and the Dalai Lama,” according to an extensive biography in Mandala Magazine. [2]

Teaching to the World

For decades, Rinpoche taught precious Buddhist canon to thousands of monks, and regularly toured monasteries and dharma centers around the world. He has taught and traveled in America, Europe, Mongolia and Asia. Many thousands have taken novice ordination from His Eminence.

Choden Labrang, on Sept 11, wrote: “As most of you know, last year in July, the glorious protector of the teachings and sentient beings, endowed with great understanding of the five sciences [medicine, craftmanship, logic, grammar, and the inner science of Buddhism], His Eminence Choden Rinpoche, the supreme Jetsun Losang Gyalten Jigdrel Wangchug, manifested the state of illness from the perspective ordinary disciples. However, through the fortunate convergence of the power of the blessing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s compassion, the sincere requests of his disciples that Rinpoche may remain long and stable like a vajra, and meticulous medical care, the illness temporarily receded and Rinpoche was able to bestow vast, essential, hard to find teachings on profound sutra and tantra, especially the Manjushri Ja-myang Chokhor cycle, to fortunate disciples in the main temple of Sera Jey Monastery.”

Unfortunately, Rinpoche’s illness “reached a critical state, each day becoming more severe according to the doctor. Concerned by this condition, Rinpoche’s close disciples requested His Holiness the Dalai Lama for an observation. Observing ominous signs, His Holiness invited Rinpoche to meet him in Delhi. On August 29th, His Holiness held a relaxed meeting with Rinpoche in his hotel room in Delhi. The following day, Rinpoche comfortably arrived at his home in the great seat of Sera.

Shortly afterwards, on Sept 11, “Rinpoche entered a state of meditation. Remaining in that state, at 1:30 AM on September 11th, 2015, in his room in the Labrang, in order to inspire towards the Dharma disciples grasping at permanence, Rinpoche progressively actualized the three emptinesses and the clear light, finally showing the aspect of dissolving his mind into dharmadhatu.”

NOTES

[1] “The Life of a Hidden Meditator: Choden Rinpoche” by Choden Rinpoche and Venerable Tseten Gelek (August 2000)

[2] Mandala Magazine July-August 2000, page 63. Full article as PDF available here>>

The post Remembering His Eminence Choden Rinpoche: The Hidden Meditator Passes into Dharamadhatu appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

It may seem a little unusual for Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh to be honored by a Catholic annual award, particularly as the past recipients are notably populated by great Bishops, priests, monks and sisters, but anyone familiar with “Thay’s” life would more likely react, What took so long?

The mission of the award makes the choice a natural one, even though he is a Buddhist teacher. The award mission is “to honor a person for the achievements in peace and justice, not only in their country but in the world.”[1] One of the earliest recipients, in 1965, was Martin Luther King Jr. It’s worth noting, too, that Nobel Lauriet Martin Luther King Jr. himself nominated Thich Nhat Hanh for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. Martin Luther King called him, “An apostle of peace and nonviolence.” Notably, this year, the year Thay becomes a recipient, is the 50th anniversary of the presentation of the same award to Martin Luther King.

Like the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh is known for helping bring together various religions. His history of peace work stretches back through the decades. During the Vietnam war, in 1964, he famously organized seven boats filled with food, then personally delivered them at great personal risk, to people suffering in the war. He was forced to flee his own country after assassination attempts, brought on by his continuous call for peace in the war-torn country. His call for peace continued through the years. In 1969 he represented the Buddhist Peace Delegation for the Paris Peace talks. Although his work helped result in the signing of the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, it also resulted in ongoing formal exile from Vietnam. His worked for peace and to help refugees continued for decades. Even recently, in 2005 and 2007, he was outspoken and led peace walks to bring awareness to the racial tension in Los Angeles. He is also extremely outspoken in Climate Change issues.

He is well known as the founder of Socially Engaged Buddhism and is, perhaps, the inspiring force behind the popularity of mindfulness in the west. He authored over 45 books, many of them bestsellers. He is well known for his west-east bridging book “Living Buddha, Living Christ.” His writings and teachings on the difficult subject of “Emptiness” in Buddhism are among the easiest to understand in print.

About Thich Nhat Hanh

In November last year, many around the world worried for his health, after being treated for a brain hemorrhage. Millions of people around the world worried and prayed as he endured a seven week coma. Even now, due to a stroke, he is unable to travel to Davenport to recieve the prestigious award. In fact, Bishop Martin Amos will travel to Deer Park Buddhist Monetary to present the award.

Thich Nhat Hanh is among the best known of Buddhist teachers, and a moving force in Zen Buddhism around the world. He is respected by spiritual leaders of many spiritual paths and religions. In 2013, on the Plum Village website, Thay is quoted as saying: “On the altar at my hermitage in France are images of Buddha and Jesus, and every time I light incense, I touch both of them as my spiritual ancestors.”

Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award

The Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award is a peace award, given since 1964, first conceived of by the Davenport Catholic Interracial Council in 1963.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s Bibliography

• Being Peace, Parallax Press, 1987, ISBN 0-938077-00-7
• The Sun My Heart’, Parallax Press, 1988, ISBN 0-938077-12-0
• Our Appointment with Life: Sutra on Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone , Parallax Press, 1990, ISBN 1-935209-79-5
• The Miracle of Mindfulness, Rider Books, 1991, ISBN 978-0-7126-4787-8
• Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha, Parallax Press, 1991, ISBN 81-216-0675-6
• Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life, Bantam reissue, 1992, ISBN 0-553-35139-7
• The Diamond That Cuts Through Illusion, Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Diamond Sutra, Parallax Press, 1992, ISBN 0-938077-51-1
• ‘Hermitage Among the Clouds’, Parallax Press, 1993, ISBN 0-938077-56-2
• Zen Keys: A Guide to Zen Practice, Three Leaves, 1994, ISBN 0-385-47561-6
• Cultivating The Mind Of Love, Full Circle, 1996, ISBN 81-216-0676-4
• The Heart Of Understanding, Full Circle, 1997, ISBN 81-216-0703-5
• Transformation and Healing: Sutra on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness, Full Circle, 1997, ISBN 81-216-0696-9
• Living Buddha, Living Christ, Riverhead Trade, 1997, ISBN 1-57322-568-1
• True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart, Shambhala, 1997, ISBN 1-59030-404-7
• Fragrant Palm Leaves: Journals, 1962-1966, Riverhead Trade, 1999, ISBN 1-57322-796-X
• Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers, Riverhead Books, 1999, ISBN 1-57322-145-7
• The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching, Broadway Books, 1999, ISBN 0-7679-0369-2
• The Miracle of Mindfulness: A Manual on Meditation, Beacon Press, 1999, ISBN 0-8070-1239-4 (Vietnamese: Phép lạ c̉ua sư t̉inh thưc).
• The Raft Is Not the Shore: Conversations Toward a Buddhist/Christian Awareness, Daniel Berrigan (Co-author), Orbis Books, 2000, ISBN 1-57075-344-X
• The Path of Emancipation: Talks from a 21-Day Mindfulness Retreat, Unified Buddhist Church, 2000, ISBN 81-7621-189-3
• A Pebble in Your Pocket, Full Circle, 2001, ISBN 81-7621-188-5
• Essential Writings, Robert Ellsberg (Editor), Orbis Books, 2001, ISBN 1-57075-370-9
• Anger, Riverhead Trade, 2002, ISBN 1-57322-937-7
• Be Free Where You Are, Parallax Press, 2002, ISBN 1-888375-23-X
• No Death, No Fear, Riverhead Trade reissue, 2003, ISBN 1-57322-333-6
• Touching the Earth: Intimate Conversations with the Buddha, Parallax Press, 2004, ISBN 1-888375-41-8
• Teachings on Love, Full Circle, 2005, ISBN 81-7621-167-2
• Understanding Our Mind, HarperCollins, 2006, ISBN 978-81-7223-796-7
• Buddha Mind, Buddha Body: Walking Toward Enlightenment, Parallax Press, 2007, ISBN 1-888375-75-2
• The Art of Power, HarperOne, 2007, ISBN 0-06-124234-9
• Under the Banyan Tree, Full Circle, 2008, ISBN 81-7621-175-3
• Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life. HarperOne. 2010. ISBN 978-0-06-169769-2.
• Reconciliation: Healing the Inner Child, Parallax Press, 2010, ISBN 1-935209-64-7
• You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment, Shambhala, 2010, ISBN 978-1590308387
• The Novice: A Story of True Love, Unified Buddhist Church, 2011, ISBN 978-0-06-200583-0
• Works by or about Thích Nhất Hạnh in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Your True Home: The Everyday Wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh, Shambhala Publications, 2011, ISBN 978-1-59030-926-1
• Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm, Rider, 2012, ISBN 978-1846043185
• The Pocket Thich Nhat Hanh, Shambhala Pocket Classics, 2012, ISBN 978-1-59030-936-0
• The Art of Communicating, HarperOne, 2013, ISBN 978-0-06-222467-5
• Blooming of a Lotus, Beacon, 2009, ISBN 9780807012383
• No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering, Parallax Press, 2014, ISBN 978-1937006853
• Is nothing something? Parallax Press 2014, ISBN 978-1-937006-65-5
• Mindful Movements Parallax Press 2014, ISBN 978-1-1-888375-79-4

Past Reciepients of the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award

• 1964 John Howard Griffin and John F. Kennedy (posthumously)
• 1965 Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
• 1966 R. Sargent Shriver
• 1967 A. Philip Randolph
• 1968 Father James Groppi
• 1969 Saul Alinsky
• 1972 Dorothy Day, S.D.
• 1974 Senator Harold Hughes
• 1975 Dom Hélder Câmara, S.D.
• 1976 Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
• 1979 Bishop Thomas Gumbleton
• 1980 Crystal Lee Sutton
• 1980 Bishop Ernest Leo Unterkoefler
• 1982 George F. Kennan
• 1983 Helen Caldicott
• 1985 Cardinal Joseph Bernardin
• 1986 Bishop Maurice John Dingman
• 1987 Archbishop Desmond Tutu
• 1989 Eileen Egan
• 1990 Mairead Corrigan Maguire
• 1991 María Julia Hernández
• 1992 Cesar Chavez
• 1993 Father Daniel Berrigan
• 1995 Jim Wallis
• 1996 Bishop Samuel Ruiz García
• 1996 Odebrecht Foundation and Archbishop Philip M. Hannan[5]
• 1997 Jim Douglass and Shelley Douglass
• 1998 Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ
• 1999 Adolfo Pérez Esquivel
• 2000 Monsignor George G. Higgins
• 2001 Lech Wałęsa
• 2002 Sisters Gwen Hennessey and Dorothy Hennessey, OSF
• 2004 Rev. Arthur Simon
• 2005 Donald Mosley
• 2007 Bishop Salim Ghazal [1]
• 2008 Monsignor Marvin Mottet
• 2009 Hildegard Goss-Mayr
• 2010 Father John Dear[1]
• 2011 Bishop Álvaro Leonel Ramazzini Imeri
• 2012 Kim Bobo
• 2013 Jean Vanier
• 2014 Sister Simone Campbell, S.S.S.
• 2015 Thich Nhat Hanh

[1] Pacem in Terris Award Recipients, Diocese of Davenport, June 2011

The post Thich Nhat Hanh, the Great Buddhist Peacemaker, Honoured with Catholic Peace Award, recipient of the 2015 Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award. appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Practice overload in Vajrayana Buddhism can become a top-of-mind issue for devoted practitioners who collect many initiations. If you are feeling stressed over your commitments, if your practice is not satisfying because of “practice pressure,” then “our practice becomes worse than paying tax to Uncle Sam,” joked Gelek Rinpoche at a Vajrayogini teaching. “At least, you only have to pay that once a year. Here you have to do it every day.” [5]

The Dalai Lama once advised: “From my own experience I do not recommend saying lots of mantras and doing lots of sadhanas. The results from doing that are not very good. Just reading the sadhanas and repeating mantras until the words fall over each other is pointless because who is thinking. So don’t do it. I am telling you that from my own experience.”

His Holiness’ advice seemed an appropriate segue into a provocative topic that has been on my mind: “Practice Overload.” [10] I set out to research the opinions of as many teachers as possible on practice overload.

Gelek Rinpoche emphasizes the importance of reducing stress of practice overload: “You still have to get up very early in the morning [to practice] and you think, ‘Oh God, this is killing me!’ All of this happens because we don’t have satisfaction in our practice.” He added that “With satisfaction in your practice” you don’t mind getting up early to practice. He also pointed out, later in the talk, that most practices involve meditation on bliss/emptiness. It is difficult to feel blissful if you are stressed.

Stress: Too Many Practices or Commitments?

Part of the problem for some devoted students can be too many practices, too many yidams — and too many commitments. During a recent teaching at Gaden Choling, Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche illustrated the issue of multiple Yidam practices and commitments with the story of Atisha. The great Atisha famously said, “We Indians do the practice of one thereby accomplishing all of them; you Tibetan people do the practices of so many, and so accomplish none!”[1]

Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche spoke directly to this issue in his book, As It Is: “The trouble comes because there are so many different forms of yidams that it becomes difficult to bond to each of them individually.” As a solution, he advises: “Practice whichever yidam you like best.” [8]

He demonstrated with an example, “If we practice Vajrasattva, it is perfectly complete to simply practice that single yidam. One doesn’t have to be constantly shifting to different deities afraid one will miss something, because there is absolutely nothing missing in the single yidam one practices.”

Urgyen Rinpoche elaborated: “If you accomplish one Buddha, then you accomplish all Buddhas. If you attain the realization of one yidam, automatically you attain realization of all yidams at the same time. Of course, there is nothing wrong with practicing more than one. The point is, not to skip around between them.”

Tradition in the West?

Diligent practice is critical to progress on the Bodhisattva path. The issue arises when, instead of focusing on a single yidam, Westerners adopt the Tibetan tradition of taking as many initiations as possible.

Gelek Rinpoche said, “Traditionally, in Tibet, you would take three hundred or four hundred different initiations, but I’m not sure whether you really need them in the West. I don’t think you do. In Tibet, it was a matter of obtaining these teachings and nobody could really practice them all.”

Just as Atisha criticized early Tibetan practitioners for “doing the practices of many, and so accomplish none,” Gelek Rinpoche, in his Vajrayogini teaching, similarly advised his Western students. [5]

Unfortunately, for many of us, who have already taken numerous initiations, the problem becomes one of focus — and also our commitments to practice with our teachers.

Practice Commitments Not Necessarily Major Commitments

Gelek Rinpoche had some reassuring words for students who might feel stressed by confused by commitments: “During an initiation you don’t actually promise to say sadhanas… The real commitment is to keep the vows which you have taken.” These vows might include Bodhisattva and Tantric vows.

Another teacher, Lama Jampa Thaye, also drew upon Atisha’s teaching to put the issue of numerous initiations — and their commitments — into perspective: “It will not actually be possible to realize the qualities of any of the deities if one tries to practice too many of them. As it is said in Tibet, ‘If you try to practice a hundred deities you will not get the benefit of one. Yet if you practice effectively just one, you will get the benefit of one hundred.’ So, although we may receive an initiation, it might well be our master’s advice not to rely upon that deity at that time.”

Yidam Deities Not External To Our Mind

Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche helps put this in perspective: “The deity is a mirror. You visualize the deity outside of you, but it reflects the you inside.” [9]

Venerable Choje Lama Phunstock also emphasizes that Yidams are not separate from our mind. “Meditating a Yidam deity is central in Vajrayana. It is crucial for Vajrayana practitioners to know that Yidam deities are not external to one’s own mind, rather they are images that help us work with our own mind. Yidams are the unblemished reflection of the primordial and innate true nature of our mind that manifests in specific forms and colors. The purpose and goal of our practice is to attain perfect Buddhahood, which manifests in three aspects or forms at fruition – the Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya. It is important to know that the three kayas are indivisible.”[5]

He continues: “The manifestation of Yidams, which are an expression of enlightenment, are free from the necessity of appearing in a specific form or in a certain color, rather every Yidam is a reflection of our personal wants and needs. Being an image of people’s various capabilities and inclinations, some Yidams appear white in color, like Noble Chenrezig, others are blue, yellow, red, or green and have different forms. In truth, Yidams are the display of the immense compassion of the Buddhas.”

Why Take So Many Initiations?

So, the obvious question to ask is why do people take many initiations despite Atisha’s advice?

Some students do take multiple initiations “as a blessing” said Zasep Rinpoche [11]. For others there are generally two reasons: Lama Jampa Thaye explains: “The first reason is that it is beneficial to take initiations because they renew one’s vows. If there have been breakages of vows or the samayas of previous initiations, these are purified by each initiation one takes. The second reason for taking initiations is that one might well need to rely on this deity at some time in the future, even if it is not appropriate now.” [2]

Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche advised students to practice the “yidam they liked best… There are no essential differences between the yidams. You cannot say that there are good or bad yidams… People’s individual feelings do make a difference in that some people want to practice Padmasambhava as their yidam, while some want to practice Avalokiteshvara or Buddha Shakyamuni or Tara. The preference varies from person to person… The reason is that all yidams are essentially the same; they differ only on form, not essence.”

“No Reason Yamantaka can’t say Om Mani Padme Hum”

Alexander Berzin reinforces this idea in his commentary on Six Session Yoga: “[We] have to remember that a Buddha – meaning ourselves when we become a Buddha – can manifest in any form, in any appearance. So we shouldn’t think of these Buddha-figures as being mutually exclusive. As Serkong Rinpoche, my teacher, said: Yamantaka can recite Om mani padme hum. There isn’t any reason why Yamantaka can’t say Om mani padme hum and is restricted to saying only his mantra. It’s not that he’s forbidden from saying anything else. And Yamantaka could also appear as Avalokiteshvara, as Vajrayogini, or as anything. We work with what we feel most comfortable with.” [4]

Neglecting a Practice is a State of Mind?

Understanding the issue of neglecting a practice and “too many deities” can also be thought of as dependent on your a state of mind. In an interesting insight from the blog “Tinfoil Ushnisha” the writer explained his teacher Khenpo Kathar’s perspective on this top-of-mind issue: “By thinking you are neglecting the practice of other deities, you are in fact neglecting them. If you think that by practicing one deity you are only practicing this one deity and not caring about the others, that produces the problem of picking and choosing. If you realize that the practice of any one deity is all-inclusive, you avoid the picking and choosing problem.” [1] In other words, your own thoughts and perspective are critical.

Picking and Choosing?

Lama Jampa Thaye of the International Association of Sakya and Karma Kagyu Tibetan Buddhist Centres puts it this way: “[We] could substitute Kalachakra, for instance: the teacher is Kalachakra, ourselves as Kalachakra. This is the way it is done in the Kalachakra version. Similarly, we could visualize both as Yamantaka or whatever figure we are practicing. It doesn’t matter. Vajrayogini. Whatever you want. It doesn’t matter. It’s similar to the fact that the hundred-syllable mantra for purification has many forms: There is the straight form of Vajrasattva – that’s the Guhyasamaja system. There’s Herukasattva – that’s the Chakrasamvara and Vajrayogini systems. There’s Yamantakasattva – that’s the Yamantaka system. Just changing a few syllables. They’re all totally equivalent.” [2]

Innumerable Practices, Varying Propensities

Venerable Choje Lama Phuntsok, in a broader discussion on Yidams, discusses the reason for “innumerable practices. Since followers and practitioners have a huge amount of varying propensities and inclinations, there are a great number of Yidams in Vajrayana, starting with their various colors and forms. The great number of Yidam deities in Vajrayana can be compared to a menu in a big restaurant – every guest is free to choose the meal they prefer having. Vajrayana is like that too, seeing one’s practice is enhanced if the Yidam one creates accords with and satisfies one’s preferences and needs. There are practitioners who prefer meditating Noble Chenrezig, others feel more comfortable meditating Arya Tara; others want to meditate Sangye Menla, who is Medicine Buddha. Yet other practitioners want to meditate Buddha Amitabha.”

Different Forms, Same Result

Venerable Lama Phuntsok explains: These deities appear in different forms, but, irrelevant of the outer form, every practice is beneficial and leads to the same result. There are many disciples who prefer meditating wrathful Yidams, such as Vajravarahi or Chakrasamvara or Kalachakra or Mahakala, and these practices bring the same result as meditating a peaceful deity. There are disciples who fear practicing Mahakala, for example, whereas other disciples really like meditating Mahakala, and this is what is meant when speaking about individual propensities and inclinations. In any case, Vajrayana practice consists of identifying with a Yidam, which is an extraordinary method when compared to practices taught in other vehicles.” [6]

Reassurance for the Overloaded Practitioner

Another way to think of this was expressed by Karma Chagme: “It is profound to unite all yidams into one deity and one mantra.” [3]

Venerable Gelek Rinpoche, founder of Jewel Heart, during Vajrayogini teachings, put it this way: “That is why you don’t have to think ‘Yeah, I have Lama Vajrayogini here, but I have forgotten Shakyamuni, I forgot the Medicine Buddha, I forgot Tara there. What has happened to my refuge?’ You don’t have to worry about it. You have to think a Buddha is all Buddhas, all Buddhas is a Buddha.”[5]

Zasep Rinpoche reassures overstressed students in a different way: “Do not think your practice is no longer worth the effort just because you have broken your commitments; do not abandon your commitments and daily practice; just pick up where you left off. My kind teacher, the most holy Tara Tulku Rinpoche said, “If you forget to eat breakfast, you don’t give up there and then. The next day, you go ahead and eat breakfast. Simple.” [7]

NOTES

[1] “Mind is the creator of our own happiness or suffering” Buddha Weekly.Teaching was at Gaden Choling Toronto.

[2] Lama Jampa Thaye, Denchen International Association of Sakya and Karma Kagyu Tibetan Buddhist Centres Frequently Asked Questions web page.

[3] “Too Many Deities, Too Little Time — a Vajrayana Dilemma”

[4] “Commentary on An Extensive Six Session Yoga” Alexander Berzin

[5] Vajrayogi Extensive Commentary, Gelek Rinpoche

[6] “Yidam Deities in Vajrayana” Venerable Choje Lama Phuntsok

[7] “Broken Commitments: Breaking Buddhist Vows or Promises Carries Heavy Karma, But What Do We Do About It?” Buddha Weekly feature. http://buddhaweekly.com/broken-commitments-breaking-buddhist-vows-promises-carries-heavy-karma/

[8] As It Is, Volume 1: Essential Teachings from the Dzogchen Perspective, Tulku Urgyen Rinoche Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: Rangjung Yeshe Publications (June 29 2004)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 9627341355

ISBN-13: 978-9627341352

Product Dimensions: 15.3 x 1.6 x 22.8 cm

Shipping Weight: 340 g

[9] Part of an extensive three hour interview with Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche with Buddha Weekly. Full interview to come.

[10] Quoted from “Vajrayogini” by Gelek Rinpoche from Jewel Heart

[11] Quoted from our earlier feature: Broken Commitments: Breaking Buddhist Vows

The post Practice Overload and Too Many Commitments: Advice From the Teachers — Don’t Become a Spiritual Materialist appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

What do big moons, lazy nihilists and rabbit holes have to do with Shunyata? Yesterday I read a feature on Space.com which became the inspiration of this feature: “The ‘Big Moon’ Illusion May All Be in Your Head,” by Joe Rao. This led to rabbit holes and lazy nihilism. Bear with me, I come back to the big moon at the end, and I want to start with snakes.

Nagarjuna: “Wrong End of the Snake”

Famously, the great Nagarjuna is credited with saying: “Emptiness wrongly grasped is like picking up a poisonous snake by the wrong end.”

However perilous, serious Buddhists students have to try to pick up that snake. No one wants to be bitten. Recently, one of my good friends went back to her birth religion, after years as a Buddhist, because she couldn’t get past thinking she was practicing nihilism. She had picked up “the wrong end” of the snake. For most of the rest of us — who aspire to Buddhist realizations — it can be the most difficult of topics.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches that Emptiness is “the knowledge of ultimate reality of all objects, material and phenomenon.” [3]

Einstein and “bullshit”: Substantialism versus Nihilism

The venerable teacher Gelek Rinpoche points to Einstein’s theory of relativity for a concise explanation of emptiness: “The theory of relativity gives you Buddha’s idea of emptiness. The essence of emptiness is the interdependent nature or dependent arising of things. The essence of Emptiness is not empty.” [7]

In a separate teaching on Yamantaka — in his eloquent, direct teaching style — Gelek Rinpoche warned against nihilism: “So if some people say ‘Everything is only the result of mind. In the end it is all zero, so it doesn’t matter, it’s all the same, it’s all bullshit’ … that is the emptiness approach from the empty point of view and that gets you on the wrong track.” [9]

The great Tibetan Yogini Machig explained emptiness as “the source and inseparable essence of all phenomena, it represents the totality of all that is and all that will come to be. For without emptiness, there would be no space for existence.”[8] This is the opposite of nihilism, and could be better described as “inclusivism” of “substantialism.” [11]

Thich Nhat Hanh: “Inter-Be”

The great Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh describes Emptiness as: “empty of separate self. That means none of the five [aggregates] can exist by itself alone. Each of the five [aggregates] has to be made up of the other four. It has to coexist; it has to inter-be with all others.” The term “Inter-Be” has become something of the modern-day equivalent to the Sanskrit term “Shunyata” with some Zen teachers. [12]

Lama Tsongkhapa, in his Three Principles, writes: “Interdependent appearance — infallible Emptiness… As long as these two seem separate, Buddha’s insight is not understood.”

The problem with the extreme of substantialism arises when “things appear to exist from their own side so solidly that even when we recognize that they are empty in nature … they still appear to exist from their own side,” writes Rob Preece, in Preparing for Tantra: Creating the Psychological Ground for Practice. [10]

The problem with nihilism — substantialism’s opposite — is Nagarjuna’s venomous snake. Buddha taught “the middle way” which implies avoiding extreme views, such as substantialism and nihilism. Both concepts run contrary to the notion of emptiness.

IABS: “Transcend a lazy nihilism”

It is easy for people to make incorrect assumptions from the terms “Emptiness” and “Voidness” — incomplete, even possibly misleading translations of the Sanskrit word Shunyata. The International Association of Buddhist Studies (IABS), in their Journal, warns practitioners to “transcend a lazy nihilism” — one of the perceptions that arise from the terms Emptiness and Voidness. [2]

Quite the contrary, as Terry Clifford explains in Tibetan Buddhist Medicine and Buddhism, if emptiness was nihilistic, compassion would be pointless. “The absolute compassion of Mahayana arises spontaneously with the realization of emptiness. Since we all share the nature of emptiness, how can we bear the suffering of others…” [6]

Friend: “Aren’t You a Nihilist?”

The entire concept of Emptiness and Shunyata is perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of Buddhism. My non-Buddhist friends often ask me, “Aren’t you a nihilist?” or “Why would you want to destroy ego? Isn’t that what makes us sentient beings?”

Sure, I could jump in and say, “You can’t destroy ego, because ego really doesn’t inherently exist,” but I don’t feel qualified to enter into a back-and-forth debate on dependent arising, labeling, and ego. I have answered, in the past, with direct quotes from the Buddha. Other times, I’ve used quotes from neurologists and psychologists, who tend to concur, for the most part, with the Buddha.

So, to help me answer (for myself) this recurring question from my friends of the non-Buddhist persuasion, I decided to research what the teachers of different traditions have to say about Emptiness. To spice it up, I’ve also searched out what physicists, psychiatrists and neurologists have to say about ego and self. I’ve brought some of these quotes together in this little feature with some helpful links to more details in the notes.

Milarepa: “Appearances are … superficial”

The great yogi Milarepa, in one of his One Hundred Thousand Songs sang: “Mind is insubstantial, void awareness, body a bubble of flesh and blood. If the two are indivisibly one, why would a corpse be left behind at the time of death when consciousness leaves? And if they are totally separate why would the mind experience pain when harm happens to the body? Thus, illusory appearances are the result of belief in the reality of the superficial.” [1]

In Milarepa’s time (born 1052 in Tibet), songs were used to enchant and teach, even on topics as difficult and profound as Emptiness. Today, we’d be as likely to cite or quote popular movies.

The Matrix: “How Deep the Rabbit Hole Goes”

For example, in the popular movie The Matrix, the character Morpheus (played by Laurence Fishburne) explains to Neo (played by Keanu Reaves) that the world is not as it seems. What Neo sees, he explains, is not the true nature of reality. (Note: he does not say the world does “not” exist.) He offers Neo, the hero of the story, a choice between a red pill or a blue pill:

“This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill—you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Remember: all I’m offering is the truth. Nothing more.”

The “waking up” language Morpheus used, is often used in Buddhism. We try to “wake up” to the true nature of reality in order to end suffering. In Buddhism — so it seems — at some point, we also have to choose the red pill or the blue pill. The sleeping metaphor is also often used by Buddhist teachers. Like Neo, many of us are tempted just to go back to sleep and “believe whatever” we want to believe.

Sure, it’s more complicated than a choice of two pills, but The Matrix movie offers, perhaps, one of the easiest ways to introduce the notion of Emptiness in Buddhism to the modern non-Buddhist — in much the same way as Milarepa used enchanting songs. So, borrowing from Morpheus, I set out to research what the great Buddhist teachers have to say about Emptiness, that most difficult of subjects — in pursuit of “the truth, nothing more” and “how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

Buddha: “Empty of Self”

In the Pali canon, Sunna Sutta, Ananada asks Buddha about emptiness:

“It is said that the world is empty, lord. In what respect is it said that the world is empty?” The Buddha replied, “Insofar as it is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self: Thus it is said, Ānanda, that the world is empty.””

This deceptively simple answer seems to satisfy my curious non-Buddhist friends when they ask about emptiness, but for practicing Buddhist’s it’s often just the beginning of understanding.

Albert Einstein: “Reality is merely an illusion”

For those of more “scientific” orientation, Albert Einstein — who was not a Buddhist, despite being credited with saying: ” If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism” — had this to say on the nature of reality:

“A human being is part of a whole, called by us the ‘universe’, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affectation for a few people near us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” [6]

The venerable teacher Gelek Rinpoche, in his 7-day teachings on Vajrayogini, linked Einstien’s theory of relativity to Buddha’s teachings on Emptiness: “I begin to appreciate Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, based on points of reference. If you don’t have points of reference, you are gone. If there is no point of reference, there is no existence. Everything exists relatively, collectively, because of points of reference.” [7]

Quoting the Teachers: Just What is Emptiness?

If Emptiness is not nihilism, then what exactly is it? It can be challenging to try to understand such a vast (and yet not vast) topic such as Emptiness, especially from teacher snippets. Such extracts necessarily sound enigmatic and almost riddle-like. Teachers often deliberately challenge our mind with difficult propositions. Ultimately, it is for us to develop our own realizations. Here are some famous quotes on “Emptiness” from the great teachers of Buddhism:

“The four categories of existence, non-existence, both existence and non-existence, and neither existence nor non-existence, are spider webs among spider webs which can never take hold of the enormous bird of reality” — The Buddha (563 – 483 BC)

“After 48 years, I have said nothing.” — The Buddha

“Whatever depends on conditions is explained to be empty…” — Sutra Requested by Madropa, translated by Ari Goldfield

“We live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a reality. We are that reality. When we understand this, we see that we are nothing. And being nothing, we are everything. That is all.” — Kalu Rinpoche [4]

“Once you know the nature of anger and joy is empty and you let them go, you free yourself from karma.” — Bodhidharma (c 440-528 AD) [5]

“The past is only an unreliable memory held in the present. The future is only a projection of our present conceptions. The present itself vanishes as soon as we try to grasp it. So why bother with attempting to establish an illusion of solid ground?” — Dilgo Kyentse

“What is Reality? An icicle forming in fire.” — Dogen Zenji (c 1200-1253 AD)

“Men are afraid to forget their minds, fearing to fall through the Void with nothing to stay their fall. They do not know that the Void is not really void, but the realm of the real Dharma.” — Huang-po (Tang Dynasty Zen Teacher)

Answering the Nihilist Challenge: Is Emptiness Nothingness or Voidness?

Even if the words of great teachers challenge us to our own understandings of Emptiness, there is always the risk of “lazy nihilism.” If we can’t understand such a profound concept, we often “lazily” associate Emptiness with Nihilism. [2]

The problem begins with the English translation of the original Sanskrit term Shunyata. This profound and complex concept is often translated into English as “voidness.” Voidness sounds a lot like “nothingness” and, in my many years of attending teachings, I’ve often heard teachers interchange the word Emptiness, Voidness and Nothingness, so this can be confusing from the get-go. In the same discussion, some teachers will warn against nihilism, but never-the-less use the word “nothingness.”

“There is really no adequate word in English for Shunyata, as both ‘voidness’ and ’emptiness’ have negative connotations, whereas, shunyata is a positive sort of emptiness transcending the duality of positive-negative,” writes Terry Clifford in Tibetan Buddhist Medicine and Psychiatry. [6] He adds: “The doctrine of void was propounded in the Madhyamika dialectic philosophy of Nagarjuna, the second-century Buddhist philosopher-saint. Nagarjuna said of shunyata, ‘It cannot be called void or not void, or both or neither, but in order to indicate it, it is called the Void.”

In Sanskrit, the word Shunyata has a very layered meaning, not easily translated into other languages. Translations of the Sanskrit noun Shunyata might be part of the issue. The Sanskrit noun Shunyata literally translates as “zero” or “nothing” — but like most Sanskrit words, a single-word translation is misleading. The Sanskrit adjective is actually Sunya, which means “empty” — according to translators who insist on single-word equivalents. In Buddhist concept, Shunyata is decidedly not nihilistic in tone — sometimes, it is translated as openess, oneness and spaciousness. No single-word translation is really helpful in describing the true essence of Shunyata.

How Different Traditions Describe Emptiness

Are there differences in how Shunyata is interpreted in the major schools of Buddhist thought? Most teachers will say Shunyata is Shunyata, and schools or philosophies just offer different ways of illustrating the concept. Here I’ll be overly simplistic (almost to the point of disservice).

The elder schools, Theravadan Buddhism, often translate sunnata or shunyata is as “non self” or “not self” in the context of the five aggregates of experience.

In Mahayana Buddhism, notably Prajna-Paramita Sutra, which means “Perfection of Wisdom”, the notion of Shunyata is equated to Wisdom. Mahayana teachers often stress that Enlightenment is only possible with realizations in Wisdom of Emptiness and Compassion—both are essential. In this Mahayana view, emptiness is beautifully expressed in the famous Heart sutra in these profound — if enigmatic — words:

Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.

Emptiness is not separate from form,

Form is not separate from emptiness.

Whatever is form is emptiness,

Whatever is emptiness is form.

We Are An Imputed Label

Mahayana teachers often focus more on the notion of “imputed labels” as an introduction to the very difficult subject of Emptiness. Imputing is a frequently repeated word in the teachings on Emptiness.

In teachings on Mahamudra in Ontario last spring, Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche gave this example of labeling: “A good example is your car. If you take that car apart, and everything is just parts, there is no car. Just car parts. You put it back together, and then label it Hyundai, you have a Hyundai. But if you switch the labels [to Honda] is it now a Honda? It’s all labels. There is no independent existence. That’s only one way to look at emptiness.”

During a “scanning meditation” guided practice in the same teaching session at Gaden Choling, Zasep Rinpoche asked students to find their body: “what is my body? … do a scanning meditation and try to find your body. “When you scan your skin, you ask, is that my body? No, it’s skin, not body. Then you look at your bones, and likewise every part of your body… To be body, it has to be the ‘whole’ body, all the parts. If you really look, you can’t find one thing that is your body. What we call body is just a ‘label’. A name. Imputing a label.”

Labeling implies that we are more than our label, rather than less. It conveys a sense of expansiveness, oneness and fullness.

Four Different Views on Emptiness: Geshe Tashi Tsering

“Each of the four Buddhist philosophical schools presents emptiness differently,” writes Geshe Tsering in his powerful book, Tantra: The Foundation of Buddhist Thought. [4] Presenting differently, however, does not mean they disagree on the essence of Emptiness.

“There is the emptiness or selflessness asserted by the schools below Svatantrika -Madhyamaka, where the Hinayana schools — Vaibhashika and Sautrantika — assert emptiness is being empty of substantial existence, and the Chittamatra school explains emptiness as the absence of duality of appearance of subject and object. Svatantrika-Madhyamaka school explains it as being empty of existing from its own side without depending on the mind. Finally, there is the emptiness asserted in Prasangika-Madhyamaka, which is being empty of existing inherently.”

Big Moons: Where This Story Began

I was inspired to write this story from a feature on Space.com. It was a light-hearted story titled, “The ‘Big Moon’ Illusion May All Be in Your Head.” For decades, scientists and thinkers have pondered over the phenomenon of the giant moon, when viewed at the horizon. Aristotle theorized it was the magnifying effect of the image of the moon enlarged through the atmosphere (pretty smart, that Aristotle guy.) I actually thought that was the case.

“Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1865), an astronomer who was considered to be a master mathematician, proposed that the answer lay in the difference between the image perceived when the rising moon was viewed over a horizon, in which case nearby objects provided a sense of scale for the eye, and the image perceived when the eyes were raised to view the same object overhead.” The author of the piece, Joe Rao, went on to describe a “simple experiment…. Get hold of a cardboard tube… Now close one eye and with the other look at the seemingly enlarged moon near the horizon through the tube and immediately the moon will appear to contract to its normal proportions.”

So, how did this inspire my little feature on Emptiness and dependent arising? The first thing I thought of when I read Joe Rao’s story was, “dependent arising…” and how we perceive things through their relationship to each other. I know, it’s a stretch, but that was my inspiration.

NOTES

[1] Drinking the Mountain Stream: Songs of Tibet’s Beloved Saint Milarepa, translated by Lama Kunga Rinpoche and Brian Cutillo.

[2] “The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, Volumes 11-12, page 108. IABS website: http://iabsinfo.net

[3] Buddhism Teacher: Emptiness http://buddhismteacher.com/emptiness.php

• [4] Tantra: The Foundation of Buddhist Thought, Volume 6 by Geshe Tashi Tsering
• Paperback: 240 pages; Publisher: Wisdom Publications (July 3 2012), ISBN-10: 1614290113; ISBN-13: 978-1614290117
• [5] Joseph Goldstein Interview http://www.dharma.org/ims/joseph_goldstein_interview1.html
• [5] “The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma: A Bilingual Edition.”
• [6] The Responsive Universe, John C. Bader, Wisdo Moon Publishing, ISBN-10: 1938459288, ISBN-13: 978-1938459283
• [7] “Vajrayogini”, PDF transcript, 490 pages, Jewel Heart (requires initiation from a qualified teacher to download). http://www.jewelheart.org/digital-dharma/vajrayogini/
• [8] Machik’s Complete Explanation: Clarifying the Meaning of Chod (Expanded Edition), Snow Lion, ASIN: B00DMC5HAQ
• [9] “Solitary Yamantaka Teachings”, PDF, 460 pages, Jewel Heart (requires initiation from a qualified teacher to download).
• [10] Preparing for Tantra: Creating the Psychological Ground for Practice, Rob Preece, Snow Lion, ASIN: B00FWX9AX8
• [11] Source of term substantialism: ” Some philosophers of physics take the argument to raise a problem for manifold substantialism, a doctrine that the manifold of events in spacetime is a “substance” which exists independently of the matter within it.”
• [12] The Heart of Understanding: Comentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra, Thich Nhat Hanh, Parallax Press, ASIN: B005EFWU0E

The post What the Teachers Say About Emptiness: Removing “Lazy Nihilism” from Shunyata — or “How Deep the Rabbit Hole goes” and “How Big is the Moon?” appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

By Lee Kane,

Editor, Buddha Weekly

 ” The eightfold path is often represented as a wheel with eight spokes. Pick a wheel with just one or two and it won’t take you very far.” — Mark Vernon [13]

“Some traditional Buddhist teachers tend to serve “Dharma-Lite” like “Coca-Cola Lite,” rather than “the Real Thing” Dharma,” said Alexander Berzin in June 2000 talk. [1] He was referring to “lite” motivations in modern, westernized Buddhism, where teachers avoid the topic of rebirth or other core beliefs— to make teachings more suitable to western psyche.

For the purposes of this feature, I’m going to call it “Designer Dharma” — picking and choosing which core beliefs to subscribe to—based on personal belief, culture, “laziness” or preference. A separate issue is more systemized cultural “modern revisionism”.

Often cited in support of this notion of “pick and choose” and “revisionism” is the Kalama Sutta, sometimes referred to as “the Buddha’s charter of free inquiry”—an regularly mistranslated and poorly interpreted sutta. [11] (See more on Kalama Sutta below). Since I, myself, often pick and choose, and have difficulty with some doctrines such as rebirth, I thought I’d research “What the teachers say.”

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche: “You can be a Buddhist without believing in reincarnation.”

In a recent interview with Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, I mentioned the difficulty some westerners have with some Buddhist doctrines such as reincarnation. Rinpoche replied,

“You can be a Buddhist without believing in reincarnation. Don’t worry about the past. The future is a dream. Stay in the now. The most important thing is to watch your body, speech and mind, and if you cultivate merit, and practice loving kindness, then you are a good Buddhist.”

[10 Interview at Gaden Choling, Fall 2015]

However, it’s important to note that Rinpoche was not advocating “Designer Dharma” but rather, reassuring those who might have difficulty with a specific belief not to be discouraged but to continue practicing.

The most common advice from teachers of western students is best summarized in this quote from Thanissaro Bhikko: “You don’t have to believe in rebirth, you just have to take it as a working hypothesis.” [9]

Designer Dharma: pick-and-choose Buddhism

Many westernized Buddhists, myself included, tend to pick and choose Buddhist teachings, particularly with relation to difficult topics such as rebirth or reincarnation that might not to resonate with western culture and rational scientific minds. Many of my Buddhist friends merrily avoid these topics, rather than confront them. If pushed, some will say, “I’m a Buddhist, but I don’t believe in X.” The biggest “X” tends to be “rebirth” I’ve found.

Core beliefs in Buddhism—which might, or might not become part of a Buddhist’s “Designer Dharma”—almost invariably include:

• the Four Noble Truths
• Dependent Origination
• the Eightfold Path
• the Three Characteristics of Existence
• the Three Jewels
• Five Precepts
• Karma
• Rebirth
• Nirvana

Some of my Buddhist friends definitely “subscribe” to the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path, but can’t bring themselves to accept rebirth. Others, like myself, accept the core beliefs, but need constant reinforcement on rebirth and karma.

Agnostic Buddhism: “Teachers… use the idea of rebirth metaphorically”

“Many contemporary forms of Buddhism in the West—especially Zen and vipassana—seem to pay little attention to the doctrine of rebirth,” writes teacher Stephen Batchelor. [8] “Teachers in these traditions often use the idea of rebirth metaphorically to describe the moment-to-moment process of “dying” and being “reborn.” However appealing, psychologically astute, and didactically skillful such interpretations may be, they can give rise to the misleading impression that in traditional Zen or Theravadan cultures the doctrine of rebirth is likewise not taken literally.”

“Rebirth has always been a central teaching in the Buddhist tradition,” writes Thanissaro Bhikkhu of Metta Forest Monastery. “The earliest records in the Pali Canon indicate that the Buddha, prior to his awakening, searched for a happiness not subject to the vagaries of repeated birth… On the night of his awakening, two of the three knowledges leading to his release from suffering focused on the topic of rebirth.” [7]

Even some westernized Tibetan Buddhists tend to practice “Dharma-Lite” when it comes to rebirth—this despite the fact that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is accepted by them to be the 14th incarnation. Certainly, in Mahayana Buddhism, the belief in bodhisattvas who continue “taking birth as long as there are living beings in the world that need to be saved from suffering,” makes rebirth an unavoidable core belief. [8]

Mark Vernon: “Half-baked” western cultural Buddhism?

In a very interesting feature on “Buddhism and the dangers of pick’n’mix religion”, Mark Vernon makes several key swipes at what he calls pick’n’mix religion. Understandably, he writes at length about the notable efforts of Stephen Batchelor, known for his somewhat controversial Buddhism Without Beliefs [14]—himself an ex-monk “heavily engaged in bringing Buddhism into the west.” He points out that Batchelor is “courting trouble along the way” because “he knows that if Buddhism is truly to address the human condition as manifest with modernity, it must resist the temptations of the quick sell.”

“When Buddhism appeared in Japan, it took three centuries for its Zen manifestation to emerge. Buddhism has been a part of western culture for about half that time, since philosophers like Schopenhauer first encountered it; which perhaps explains why it can appear a little half-baked.” [13]

Dalai Lama Teaches on Reincarnation: “…accept the existence of past and future lives”

“In order to accept reincarnation or the reality of the Tulkus, we need to accept the existence of past and future lives,” wrote the Dalai Lama from Dharamsala in September, 2011. [6] “Sentient beings come to this present life from their previous lives and take rebirth again after death. This kind of continuous rebirth is accepted by all the ancient Indian spiritual traditions and schools of philosophy, except the Charvakas, who were a materialist movement. Some modern thinkers deny past and future lives on the premise that we cannot see them. Others do not draw such clear cut conclusions on this basis.”

The Dalai Lama explains the arguments for rebirth: “There are many different logical arguments given in the words of the Buddha and subsequent commentaries to prove the existence of past and future lives. In brief, they come down to four points: the logic that things are preceded by things of a similar type, the logic that things are preceded by a substantial cause, the logic that the mind has gained familiarity with things in the past, and the logic of having gained experience of things in the past.” He adds that there are many people “who can remember their immediate past life.”

Science: Anecdotal evidence, but no verifiable corroboration

Never-the-less, logic aside, such teachings require faith, as there’s no verifiable corroboration from science — even if many scientists are willing to remain open to the concept due to some anecdotal evidence. [3] Most commonly cited is extensive anecdotal evidence from Dr. Ian Stevenson, who collected data from 4500 people who spontaneously recalled past lives. There are dozens of other anecdotal studies supporting “past lives” with credibility, but not carrying the weight of proven science.

Often tossed about are pseudo scientific theories that attempt to “prove” rebirth is possible, drawing heavily on quantum physics and Einstein. Or, using the often cited example of the “five year body”—based on the biological fact that all cells in the body are replaced fully every five years (See Thich Nhat Hanh below). These are reinforcing inferences rather than evidence.

Never-the-less, the majority of western Buddhists—myself included—tend to bypass our discomfort with the notion of rebirth, by practicing as if we believed in it. Western teachers often coach their students just to practice, and that wisdom will come eventually. In other words, we don’t “pick and choose” but rather give the “benefit of the doubt” because we trust the wisdom of our teachers, and the ultimate wisdom of the Buddha.

Thich Nhat Hanh: “Nothing Remains the same in two consecutive moments.”

Many Zen Buddhists avoid the topic, and when they discuss it, rebirth is often presented in terms which would be palatable to westerners.

The illustrious teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, whose books are inevitable bestsellers, describes rebirth in very western terms: “When you grow very old, you are no longer the same as when you were five. When you are five, or you are ten, you are neither the same, nor a different person.” He cautions against the views of Eternalism (where a soul survives forever, returning life after life) and Nihilism (where there is nothing). “Everything is impermanence. Nothing can remain exactly the same in two consecutive moments… Birth and death are like waves, and you are riding on the waves…” (from video “Rebirth in Zen Buddhism” (see video below).

Alexander Berzin: “Rebirth… central to Buddhism.”

Alexander Berzin cautioned: “rebirth [is] a topic that is central to Buddhism. I think it’s very important to acknowledge that.” Certainly, in Mahayana Buddhism it’s central. In the lam-rim “the graduated path to enlightenment… it speaks about the pathway minds of three levels of motivation. The first level motivation is to aim for fortunate rebirth.” To be motivated by rebirth, of course, we have to believe in it. “The second level is to aim for liberation. Liberation from what? Liberation from uncontrollably recurring rebirth, which is what samsara is referring to.”

He continues by describing how important belief in rebirth is to other key Buddhist teachings on karma, compassion, the nature of our minds. Rebirth contextualizes the teachings on karma and compassion.

Four Noble Truths and Eightfold path.

The four noble truths, taught by the Buddha, were designed to free us from the cycle of samsara. He taught the path as the “eight fold path” as the remedy for “Dukkha” or suffering. Buddha clearly taught in the context of belief in multiple lives. Rebirth was commonly accepted in Buddha’s lifetime. Buddha spoke of having many previously lives.

In the west, we tend to accept concepts such as karma more as a “moral imperative” rather than a metaphysical concept, since often westerners have trouble with the concept of karmic seeds. Thus, stories such as the Jataka Tales: The Previous Lives of the Buddha—believed to be “pearls of wisdom” from the mouth of the Buddha himself [5]—tend to be soft-pedaled as “children’s fables” to illustrate morality, rather than literal stories of Buddha’s previous lives. Whether the stories were meant to be fables or literal stories is irrelevant; what’s clear is that the Buddha Himself clearly believed in rebirth.

For the modern Buddhist, we often side-step rebirth and rationalize Dhukka as “suffering in this life.” Yet, however much we wish to avoid or rationalize, rebirth is not an avoidable issue that can be side-stepped, given sutra and traditional lineage teachings.

Can We Pick and Choose What to Believe?

Teachings on reincarnation, hell realms and karma are recurrent and prominent in both sutra and tantric teachings—in Pali cannon as much as Mahayana sutra. Yet, they tend to be actively avoided in western teachings. I’ll admit I’m amongst those who has difficultly with seriously contemplating such notions, especially such things as hell realms. There might be some rational foundation for rebirth, but hell realms? (Of course, hell realms, in the west, are often described as psychological hells, rather than “actual” hells.)

The question, then, is can we “pick and choose?” Of course, in the modern world, we are free to believe anything we wish, and we’re certainly free to pick and choose. But, does picking and choosing create obstacles to our progress on the path to ultimate Enlightenment? And, did Buddha encourage or discourage the practice of “Designer Dharma”?

Kalama Sutta: “carte blanche for following one’s own sense of right and wrong”

In The Kalama Sutta, most often cited in relation to the concept of “picking an choosing”, translator Thanissari Bhikkhu is quick to point out: “Although this discourse is often cited as the Buddha’s carte blanche ford following one’s own sense of right and wrong, it actually says something much more rigorous than that. Traditions are not to be followed simply because they are traditions. Reports (such as historical accounts or news) are not to be followed simply because the source seems reliable. One’s own preferences are not to be followed simply because they seem logical or resonate with one’s feelings.”

From the Kalama Sutta, Buddha says: “When there are reasons for doubt, uncertainty is born. So in this case, Kalamas, don’t go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, ‘This contemplative is our teacher.’ When you know for yourselves that, ‘These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering’ — then you should abandon them.” [12]

Rebirth, No Rebirth? Was it a Critical Doctrine?

On the surface, the answer is “probably” since “the theme of rebirth is woven inextricably throughout the Buddha’s teachings. And freedom from rebirth has been a central feature of the Buddhist goal from the very beginning of the tradition.” [7]

Venerable Thich Nguyen Tang, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, teaches: “To Buddhists, however, death is not the end of life, it is merely the end of the body we inhabit in this life, but our spirit will still remain and seek out through the need of attachment, attachment to a new body and new life. Where they will be born is a result of the past and the accumulation of positive and negative action, and the resultant karma (cause and effect) is a result of ones past actions.” [2]

In most paths of Buddhism, our teachers advise us to meditate on impermanence and death. In part, this is to give a sense of urgency to our practice, or to encourage compassion, or simply to help us focus on the very nature of impermanence. But underpinning these meditations, particularly in lineage-inspired guided meditations, is the cycle of rebirth across endless lives. Vajrayana meditations often focus on the bardo experience — which is the experience between lives. There can be no bardo, without rebirth.

Thanissaro Bhikku: “Annihalationism… those who denied rebirth”

In an interesting article in Tricycle, Thai forest monk Thanissaro Bhikku made the point that “scholars—who should know better—keep repeating the idea that the Buddha lived in a time when everyone took for granted two principles: (1) that rebirth happened and (2) that karma had an effect on how rebirth happened.” He explained that the Pali Canon gives “clear evidence to the contrary.” His key point was that Buddha didn’t believe in rebirth because of cultural/religious norms—the Buddha argued for it. If the Buddha argued for rebirth, it follows that it’s important.

“The Buddha frequently referred to the two extremes of wrong view that blocked progress on the path: externalism and annihilationism. ‘Annihalationism’ is the term he used to describe those who denied rebirth.” He gave a compelling argument for the issue of whether karma and rebirth were mainstream in Buddha’s time. Buddha taught, however, that “if you assume that karma has results, you will act skillfully. And when you act skillfully you gain four assurances in the here and now.” [9]

Modern Revisionism: “Wow… I’m concerned others will actually think that’s Buddha’s view”

In response to an idea making the rounds on the internet, that “reincarnation is a non-Buddhist idea grafted on to Buddhism later,” a Dogen scholar associated with the San Francisco Zen Centre argued: ” I appreciate what you say about how we can’t know what happens after death, and therefore Zen doesn’t emphasize that teaching. However you also say that Dogen was very adamant that there is no reincarnation, that the idea of reincarnation is a non-Buddhist idea that was grafted onto Buddhism later on and isn’t originally part of Buddhism.’ Wow. I am concerned that others will actually think that is Dogen’s and Buddha’s view. As you probably know, there are many, many early Pali Suttas in which the Buddha talks about rebirth.” [10]

To which, a clever commenter posted, “I haven’t believed in rebirth for several lifetimes now.”

Lama Surya Das: “All traditional Buddhist teachers believe in rebirth.”

In his book, Awakening the Buddha Within, Lama Surya Das makes the strong claim, “The more classical Tibetan texts and teachers stress that to be considered a Buddhist you must: take refuge in the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha); seek liberation from suffering (samsara); and believe in karma and rebirth. They say it is meaningless to seek liberation if you don’t accept karma and its implication of continuity.”

However, he continues, in the very next sentence with: “Many current Western teachers including myself agree that traditional belief in rebirth is not necessary to be a genuine Buddhist, and that an agnostic position on rebirth teachings is fine until one discovers certainty within oneself. I personally feel the most important criteria or characteristic of Buddhist spirituality is a sincere commitment to the possibility of spiritual awakening and enlightenment, combined with an open heart, an inquiring mind, and daily awareness practice based on ethics, meditation and wisdom.”

Designer Dharma: “Four Kinds of Rebirth”

In his book “Awakening the Buddha Within”, Lama Surya Das, describes four ways you can interpret rebirth, leaving it broad enough for even the most agnostic Buddhist to accept one of them:

1. “Life to life … I die, I am reborn
2. Intentional rebirth in linear time (…reincarnate lamas like the Dalai Lama vow intentionally to keep coming back… to liberate all beings til the end of samsara…)
3. Spiritual rebirth (Total renewal and personal transformation in this very life.)
4. Moment-to-moment rebirth in the timeless present… Every moment there is a new you… science tells us that almost every cell in your body changes every seven years… You are not the same person you were yesterday…”

Final Word: “The Truth of Rebirth and Why it Matters for Buddhist Practice”

There is no question that Buddha taught the cycle or rebirth. His teachings were based in his own Enlightened experience as described in various sutras such as   Majjhima Nikaya (Pali Buddhist text). We can take rebirth as a “working hypothesis” rather than a doctrinal fact, as western teachers often advise to “doubtful” western students. To this, perhaps it’s best to let Thanissaro Bhikku have the last word:

“So we’re faced with a choice. If we’re sincere about wanting to end suffering and to give the Buddha’s teachings a fair test, then — instead of assuming that he was a prisoner of his own time and place, unable to question his cultural assumptions — we have to examine the extent to which, in adhering to our own cultural assumptions, we’re imprisoning ourselves. If we don’t want to drop our self-imposed restrictions, we can still benefit from any of the Buddha’s teachings that fit within those limitations, but we’ll have to accept the consequences: that the results we’ll get will be limited as well. Only if we’re willing to submit to the test of appropriate attention, abandoning the presuppositions that distort our thinking about issues like karma and rebirth, will we be able to make full use of the Canon’s tools for gaining total release.” [7]

NOTES

[1] “The Buddhist Explanation of Rebirth“, Alexander Berzin in Morelia Mexico, June 2000. 

[2] “Buddhist View on Death and Rebirth“, Venerable Thich Nguyen Tang 

[3] For a broader discussion of the evidence supporting rebirth, see our previous two features in Buddha Weekly: “Rebirth, Part 1: Is There Evidence of Rebirth or Reincarnation?”   

[4] Coward, Harold (ed.), 1997, Life after Death in World Religions, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.

[5] “The Jatakas: Stories of Buddha’s Previous Births.” 

[6] “Reincarnation” Dalai Lama 

[7] “The Truth of Rebirth: And Why it Matters for Buddhist Practice”, by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 30 November 2013, 

[8] “Rebirth: A Case for Buddhist Agnosticism” Stephen Batchelor 

[9] “The Buddha didn’t just believe in rebirth, he argued for it.” Thanissaro Bhikku guest feature in Tricycle, Sept 2011 

[10] “What Should We Think About Death“, Brad, Hardcore Zen 

[11] “A Look at the Kalama Sutta“, Bhikkhu Bodhi 

[12] “Kalama Sutta: To the Kalamas“, translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikku

[13] “Buddhism and the dangers of pick’n’mix relgion.” the guardian, Mark Vernon 

[14] Buddhism Without Beliefs, Stephen Batchelor, Riverhead Books, ISBN-10: 1573226564, ISBN-13: 978-1573226561   

[15] “Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it” Fake Buddhist Quotes website.

The post “Designer Dharma” or “Dharma-Lite”—What the teachers say about picking and choosing Buddhist core beliefs such as rebirth and karma appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

A prominent international group of cognitive neuroscientists and other experts made a strong declaration, endorsed by Stephen Hawking, affirming that all “nonhuman animals… including octopuses” are sentient and feel emotions such as fear and happiness. In Argentina, an orangutan won non-human rights against his zoo-keeper. Recently, in the news, a monkey won the rights to a selfie photo over the owner of the camera.

The advance in non-human rights begs the question, from a Buddhist perspective, when we promise to liberate all sentient beings — or not to kill — just who do we include? If our definition includes all beings down to insects and octopuses, how do we reconcile our dependence on “lower” beings for survival?

Increasingly, teachers are speaking out on non-human sentience and unnecessary suffering for these beings. When the Dalai Lama famously protested “cruelty to chickens” in 2012, it was inspired by an abundance of compassion (see “Dalai Lama and Chickens” below). How does the “Cambridge Declaration” from an international group of prominent scientists, stating that even Octopuses feel emotions, change our view? More importantly, what do our teacher’s say? To help provide insight, we collected teachings from the Buddha, the Dalai Lama, Bikkhu Bodhi, Thich Nhat Hanh, Karma Lekshe Tsomo, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kyabje Chatral Sangye Rinpoche, Geshe Thubten Soepa, and, of course, Stephen Hawking and the Cambridge Scientists.

Buddha: First Precept “Abstain from Taking Life”

Mahayana Buddhists, who promise to Liberate All Sentient Beings” are often vegetarian out of compassion for the suffering of non-human beings—to fulfill Bodhisattva vow and the first precept of Buddha not to kill. For others, it is often convenient to avoid the topic, since we are often brought up culturally to accept the necessary killing of animals for survival.

The Buddha’s first precept in Pali reads: “Panatipata verami sikkhapadam samadiyami” which translates more-or-less as: “I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life.” For many, this meant human life. For others, particularly Zen Buddhists, it meant any breathing creature.

Cambridge Declaration: “Human’s not unique in possessing … consciousness.”

“Convergent evidence indicates that non-human animals have the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and neurophysiological substrates of conscious states along with the capacity to exhibit intentional behaviors. Consequently, the weight of evidence indicates that humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness. Nonhuman animals, including all mammals and birds, and many other creatures, including octopuses, also possess these neurological substrates.” — The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness (See full text of official declaration at bottom of this feature.)

The scientists demonstrated that emotions and decision-making develop in all life forms down to cephalopod mollusks. Even Steven Hawking and other giants endorsed the declaration, titled “The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness.” Issued by a prominent group of neurophysiologists, neuroanatomists, cognitive neuroscientists, neuropharmacologists and computational neuroscientists — this statement leaves little wiggle room for diminishing levels of compassion for “lower” life forms. [To read the full declaration, the PDF is available for download here>>] (upload PDF) (View the video from Stephen Hawking on the sentience of lower animals, embedded below)

Stephen Hawking and Non-Human Consciousness

On the heels of this declaration, an orangutan in an Argentinian zoo won non-human personhood rights in a fight to determine if it had been unlawfully deprived of it’s freedom. Also, the credit for the “selfie” at the top of our feature is under legal review to determine whether the monkey or the owner of the camera deserved the credit. [7]

In another related story, Professor Marc Bekoff wrote in Psychology Today: “We know, for example, that mice, rats, and chickens display empathy…” Which brings us to chickens and the Dalai Lama.

Dalai Lama’s “Cruelty to Chickens” Letter

In 2012, Buddha Weekly http://buddhaweekly.com/cruelty-to-chickens-protest-dalai-lama/ reported on the Dalai Lama’s protest letter, in which he wrote to KFC: “I have been particularly concerned with the suffering of chickens for many years.” At the time KFC slaughtered 850 million chickens each year (as of 2010). The Dalai Lama wrote to KFC, asking them to abandon their plan to open restaurants in Tibet “because your corporation’s support for cruelty and mass slaughter.” [1]

At the time, PETA proclaimed that chickens “feel pain and have distinct personalities and intelligence,” which was largely scoffed at publically. This later finding of the scientists at Cambridge University would seem to support both PETA and the rationale for the Dalai Lama’s protest.”

Killing is prohibited in Buddhism — clearly one of the main precepts — but often this is simply interpreted to mean “human” killing — on the basis that lower animals are not sentient. Even if killing of “lower animals” is necessary for survival, the doctrine of Metta prohibits Buddhists from causing suffering.

The Dalai Lama explained how he had become a vegetarian after witnessing the slaughter of a chicken. ” It was the death of a chicken that finally strengthened my resolve to become vegetarian. In 1965, I was staying at the Government Guest House in south India. My room looked directly on to the kitchens opposite. One day I chanced to see the slaughter of a chicken, which made me decide to become a vegetarian.”

He also explained why he particularly focused on chickens. “Tibetans are not, as a rule, vegetarians, because in Tibet vegetables are scarce and meat forms a large part of the staple diet. However, it is considered more ethical to eat the meat of larger animals such as yaks, than small ones, because fewer animals would have to be killed.”
Even the Buddha was not a strict vegetarian. He ate what his sponsors provided in his bowl, including meat. It was, according to tradition, tainted meat that led to his death and paranirvana.

Bikkhu Bodhi: Sentient Being — “Any Being with Breath”

Theravadan Pali Canon tends to support the notion of all life as sentient. The well-known teacher Bikkhu Bodhi explains “pana” (from the First Precept in Pali” means “breathing, or any living being that has breath an consciousness.” The Venerable teacher explains that this includes all animal life, including insects, but not plant life. The word “anipata” means to “strike down, and includes both killing and injuring or torturing. [8] Clearly, it is critical to avoid taking the life of “any being with breath.”

A key element in motivation. Accidentally stepping on an insect or running over an animal on the road would not generally be in conflict with the First Precept.

Karma Lekshe Tsomo: “Examine … Motivation”

Karma Tsomo, a professor of theology and a Tibetan nun said: “When making moral choices, individuals are advised to examine their motivation–whether aversion, attachment, ignorance, wisdom, or compassion–and to weigh the consequences of their actions in light of the Buddha’s teachings.” [8]

The same criterion would be important in issues of “self defense” including defense of one’s country in a time of war. According to Barbara O’Brien, “some 3,000 Buddhists” serve “in the U.S. armed forces, including some Buddhist chaplains. Buddhism does not demand pacificism.” Again, however motivation is key, in this case the “motivation” of the country sponsoring the soldier. Is the action that led to killing due to the negative motivation of the country, such as greed, attachment, hatred or ignorance? [8]

Thich Nhat Hanh: “No Killing Can be Justified”

The famous Zen monk and pacifist, who was once nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize is unequivicol in his view of the first precept against killing: “We cannot support any act of killing; no killing can be justified. But not to kill is not enough. We must also learn ways to prevent others from killing. We cannot say, “I am not responsible. They did it. My hands are clean.” If you were in Germany during the time of the Nazis, you could not say, “They did it. I did not.” If, during the Gulf War, you did not say or do anything to try to stop the killing, you were not practicing this precept. Even if what you said or did failed to stop the war, what is important is that you tried, using your insight and compassion.” [9]

Not only was the venerable teacher a well-known pacifist activist, he was also vegetarian. “Even if we take pride in being vegetarian, for example, we have to acknowledge that the water in which we boil our vegetables contains many tiny microorganisms. We cannot be completely nonviolent, but by being vegetarian, we are going in the direction of nonviolence. If we want to head north, we can use the North Star to guide us, but it is impossible to arrive at the North Star. Our effort is only to proceed in that direction.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche: “Animals Experience Unbelievable Suffering”

The most Venerable Vajrayana teacher Lama Zopa Rinpoche replied to a student on the subject of vegetarianism: ” As there are more and more people becoming vegetarian, that means less and less animals will be killed. So it is very important. In the world people eat meat mainly because of habit; so many people have not thought that the animals experience unbelievable suffering.” [4]

He later described how he saw a cow struggling to not go down a ramp to slaughter: ” A man was pulling him down from the platform, but the cow didn’t want to go down. So I thought, I can’t stop the animal suffering, but what I can do as I go around the world to teach, even if it is on sutra and tantra, I will announce or request if people can become vegetarian. That is something I can do.”

Bodhisattva Vow: “Liberate All Sentient Beings”

In Mahayana Buddhism, often the definition of “sentient beings” is any being who is capable of experiencing Dukkha (suffering.) According to the Cambridge scientists, this is all beings down to and including octopuses.

In sutra, sentient beings are described as all inhabitants of the three realms of samsara within the six classes of beings. Included in the six classes are animals, fish, insects — any creature with mind. Particularly as relates to the Tathagatagarbha doctrine, all these creatures have inherent Buddha Nature, “the intrinsic potential to transcend the conditions of Samsara and attain Enlightenment.” [3]

Kyabje Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche: “Meat, the sinful food.”

The great Kyabje Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche, a highly realized Dzogchen yogi, was a vocal opponent of meat for all of his long life, from 1913-2015. “If you take meat, it goes against the vows one takes in seeking refuge in the Buddha Dharma and Sangha. Because when you take meat you have to take a being’s life.”

In Chapter 2 of “Compassionate Action” he wrote: Meat, the sinful food, is not permitted according to the three vows: the vows of individual liberation, the Bodhisattva vows and the tantric vows.” [6]

On the other hand, many Buddhists are not vegetarians. Buddha Himself taught monks to eat whatever was placed in their bowl, including meat, unless they knew the animal was slaughtered for the monks. (See “First Precept: Killing versus Eating below).

Buddha Taught Loving Kindness — but Not Just for Humans?

Without question, practicing Buddhists practice compassion and loving kindness — metta — for sentient beings. The doctrine of “karuna” or “active sympathy” and willingness “to bear the pain of others” is not debatable — at least not in Mahayana schools. Even if we interpret “compassion” to be a skillful method used by the Buddha to demonstrate the mistaken idea of “independent me” and “independent you” — there can be no doubt that kindness for sentient beings is not optional.

There is no question that the Buddha taught loving-kindness for all sentient beings not just humans. Why is this critical? Because Buddha also taught the doctrine of rebirth — that we can be reborn as insects, lower animals, and other forms of life. Compassion for all beings, down to crawling insects, is not implicit, it appears to be explicitly recommended. This does not mean Buddhists must be vegetarians, but at least that we must feel sympathy for the suffering of all creatures.

How Equally Do We Practice Compassion?

These findings of neuroscientists, when positioned against the Buddhist Dharma, beg the question: how equally do we practice compassion? We might feel more compassion, for example, for our beloved canine or feline. We might feel “sorry” for the beautiful deer lying by the side of the road, struck by a car. We might, like the Dalai Lama, feel sorry for the chicken, especially if we see a picture of a beautiful new-born chick. Do we then feel similar levels of sympathy for the insects splattered on our windshield, or the “less attractive” creatures such as spiders and venomous snakes?

Whether we accept the notion that we might be reborn as a future splattered insect, there can be no doubt that we are taught that our mission is to “free all sentient beings from Samsara.” How much worse is it when we, ourselves, create the causes of suffering?

First Precept: Killing versus Eating? They’re Different Right?

The first precept Buddha taught was not to kill. However, certainly in Pali cannon, this is usually not interpreted to prohibit the eating of meat — only the killing of the animal or the sponsoring of the killing. Mahayana sutras, tend to strongly advocate vegetarianism, particularly the Lankavatara Sutra. [2] In the Jivaka Sutta, Buddha probited the monks from consumption of the flesh of any animal that was seen or suspected to have been killed for the benefit of the monks. Generally, monks were expected to accept and respect all alms provided in their bowls, including meat, without discrimination.

Clearly, this later became an issue when monks formed communities and monasteries, where it became more difficult to argue that the animal was not killed specifically for their benefit. As devout Buddhists, the argument, therefore, comes down to whether we believe the meat on the supermarket shelf was killed for our benefit. If we believe we are not encouraging the killing, or supporting cruelty, then it would not be considered a conflict with the first precept. If we believed that by buying the meat we are supporting the slaughter of animals, we would be in conflict. Ultimately, that’s a personal choice. While meat might be debatable, what is clearly not permitted, according to this precept, is the deliberate slaughter of a sentient being, including chickens.

Geshe Thubten Soepa: “Meat Not Allowed”

In a question and answer series about vegetarianism with Geshe Thubten Soepa, a FPMT-registered teacher, he answers: “In the Mahayana teachings the Buddha forbade eating meat altogether. In many different sutras (the Lankarawatara Sutra, the Great Sutra of Nirvana in the Angulimala Sutra, the Sutra on the Ability of the Elephant, the Sutra of the Great Cloud), it is taught that if one is trying to live with great compassion, then eating meat is not allowed. This is because one has to see all sentient beings as our mother, brother, son, etc. Also in the Angulimala Sutra, Manjushri asked the Buddha, ‘‘Why do you not eat meat?’’ He replied that he saw all beings as having buddha-nature and that was his reason for not eating meat. Therefore, if you practice Mahayana and eat meat, it is a contradiction.” [5]

The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness*

Here is the full text of the Declaration on Consciousness:

On this day of July 7, 2012, a prominent international group of cognitive neuroscientists, neuropharmacologists, neurophysiologists, neuroanatomists and computational neuroscientists gathered at The University of Cambridge to reassess the neurobiological substrates of conscious experience and related behaviors in human and non-human animals. While comparative research on this topic is naturally hampered by the inability of non-human animals, and often humans, to clearly and readily communicate about their internal states, the following observations can be stated unequivocally:

• The field of Consciousness research is rapidly evolving. Abundant new techniques and strategies for human and non-human animal research have been developed. Consequently, more data is becoming readily available, and this calls for a periodic reevaluation of previously held preconceptions in this field. Studies of non-human animals have shown that homologous brain circuits correlated with conscious experience and perception can be selectively facilitated and disrupted to assess whether they are in fact necessary for those experiences. Moreover, in humans, new non-invasive techniques are readily available to survey the correlates of consciousness.
• The neural substrates of emotions do not appear to be confined to cortical structures. In fact, subcortical neural networks aroused during affective states in humans are also critically important for generating emotional behaviors in animals. Artificial arousal of the same brain regions generates corresponding behavior and feeling states in both humans and non-human animals. Wherever in the brain one evokes instinctual emotional behaviors in non-human animals, many of the ensuing behaviors are consistent with experienced feeling states, including those internal states that are rewarding and punishing. Deep brain stimulation of these systems in humans can also generate similar affective states. Systems associated with affect are concentrated in subcortical regions where neural homologies abound. Young human and nonhuman animals without neocortices retain these brain-mind functions. Furthermore, neural circuits supporting behavioral/electrophysiological states of attentiveness, sleep and decision making appear to have arisen in evolution as early as the invertebrate radiation, being evident in insects and cephalopod mollusks (e.g., octopus).
• Birds appear to offer, in their behavior, neurophysiology, and neuroanatomy a striking case of parallel evolution of consciousness. Evidence of near human-like levels of consciousness has been most dramatically observed in African grey parrots. Mammalian and avian emotional networks and cognitive microcircuitries appear to be far more homologous than previously thought. Moreover, certain species of birds have been found to exhibit neural sleep patterns similar to those of mammals, including REM sleep and, as was demonstrated in zebra finches, neurophysiological patterns, previously thought to require a mammalian neocortex. Magpies in particular have been shown to exhibit striking similarities to humans, great apes, dolphins, and elephants in studies of mirror self-recognition.
• In humans, the effect of certain hallucinogens appears to be associated with a disruption in cortical feedforward and feedback processing. Pharmacological interventions in non-human animals with compounds known to affect conscious behavior in humans can lead to similar perturbations in behavior in non-human animals. In humans, there is evidence to suggest that awareness is correlated with cortical activity, which does not exclude possible contributions by subcortical or early cortical processing, as in visual awareness. Evidence that human and nonhuman animal emotional feelings arise from homologous subcortical brain networks provide compelling evidence for evolutionarily shared primal affective qualia.

 

We declare the following: “The absence of a neocortex does not appear to preclude an organism from experiencing affective states. Convergent evidence indicates that non-human animals have the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and neurophysiological substrates of conscious states along with the capacity to exhibit intentional behaviors. Consequently, the weight of evidence indicates that humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness. Nonhuman animals, including all mammals and birds, and many other creatures, including octopuses, also possess these neurological substrates.”

* The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness was written by Philip Low and edited by Jaak Panksepp, Diana Reiss, David Edelman, Bruno Van Swinderen, Philip Low and Christof Koch. The Declaration was publicly proclaimed in Cambridge, UK, on July 7, 2012, at the Francis Crick Memorial Conference on Consciousness in Human and non-Human Animals, at Churchill College, University of Cambridge, by Low, Edelman and Koch. The Declaration was signed by the conference participants that very evening, in the presence of Stephen Hawking, in the Balfour Room at the Hotel du Vin in Cambridge, UK. The signing ceremony was memorialized by CBS 60 Minutes. [10]

NOTES

[1] “Cruelty to Chickens Protest: Dalai Lama”, Buddha Weekly http://buddhaweekly.com/cruelty-to-chickens-protest-dalai-lama/

[2] “Buddhism and Vegetarianism”, UrbanDharma.org http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma3/vegi.html

[3] “Sentient Beings” http://www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php/Sentient_beings

[4] “Inspired to Become a Vegetarian” Lama Zopa Rinpoche

http://www.lamayeshe.com/advice/being-vegetarian

[5] “Nine Questions About Vegetarianism” with Geshe Thubten Soepa, FPMT http://fpmt.org/mandala/archives/mandala-issues-for-2011/january/nine-questions-about-vegetarianism/

[6] “Kyabje Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche” http://www.shabkar.org/teachers/tibetanbuddhism/chatral_rinpoche.htmd

[7] “Orangutan in Argentina Wins Non Human Person Rights”, Raw Science http://www.rawscience.tv/orangutan-in-argentina-wins-non-human-person-rights/

[8] “The First Buddhist Precept, To Abstain from Taking Life,” by Barbara O’Brien http://buddhism.about.com/od/theprecepts/a/firstprecept.htm

[9] “The First Precept: Reverence for Life” by Thich Nhat Hanh

http://dharma.ncf.ca/introduction/precepts/precept-1.html

The post Prominent Scientists Declare “All Non Human Animals… Are Conscious Beings.” The Dalai Lama Protests Chicken Slaughter. An Orangutan Won Non-Human Rights Over Zoo Keeper. What Do the Teachers Say About Non-Human Compassion? appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Leonardo da Vinci is credited as saying, “While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.” This may be a discouraging thought for some, but Buddhists view end-of-life meditation as an uplifting and powerful practice.

“Analysis of death is not for the sake of becoming fearful but to appreciate this precious lifetime.” — Dalai Lama [2]

Recently, at Gaden Choling Toronto, in a broad-ranging interview on many topics [1], I asked the most Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche “Why do Buddhists meditate on death?” This led to a spirited and helpful teaching, especially as I had recently experienced the passing of several family members in one year — long, lingering and painful passings.

Zasep Rinpoche’s answer encouraged me to research what other eminent teachers have to say about death meditation. I’ve brought together some teachings from the Buddha, the Dalai Lama, Stephen and Ondrea Levine, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ribur Rinpoche, and also some helpful guidelines from the Journal of Palliative Care. [For helpful suggestions for Palliative end-of-life caregivers specific to Buddhsits, see the last half of this article.]

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche: “Death can happen at any time… meditating on death is very helpful.”

“Meditating on death and dying is very important,” Zasep Rinpoche said. “Meditating on death and dying helps motivate Dharma practice. Life is too short. Death can happen at any time, you don’t know.”

“I’ve got maybe ten years, fifteen years, maybe twenty years. So, the time goes fast, but death’s going to happen sooner or later. So, meditating on death is very helpful to motivate Dharma practice.”

Rinpoche added that “meditating on death and dying is helpful for other people. For instance, you know someone is dying, like family members — or, maybe you work around people who are dying, like a palliative nurse or doctor — so it’s good to know more about how to be helpful in these times.” [The full transcript of the 2 hour interview with Zasep Rinpoche will be featured in February on Buddha Weekly.]

This brought to mind, the memorable words of Chagdud Rinpoche, a Tibetan lama:

“When you have to go to the bathroom, it’s too late to build a latrine.” [6]

Preparing to die, it could be said, is a key meditation and concept in Buddhism.

Stephen Levine: “We are all going to die… live as if the present year was our last”

Stephen and Ondrea Levine became well known for their book, A Year to Live, [3] “which explores the practice of living the present year as if it were our last.” Stephen famously wrote, “Death is just a change of lifestyles.”

Stephen passed away January 17, but so profound was his message, that he inspired many people to meditate and practice as if they had one year to live. In an interview in Tricycle Magazine [4] — in answer to the question ” Why is it important for us to think about dying?” — he replied:

“Because we are all going to die. If we could bring that reality into our heart, that would be a practice unto itself. The last time Ondrea and I spoke with the Dalai Lama, he asked us what were working on. I told him we were writing a book called A Year To Live, which explores the practice of living as if the present year were our last. He wondered whether people who started this practice would run amok. In other words, if they imagined the end was coming, wouldn’t they just grab a lady or a guy and a bottle of tequila and head for the beach? And that’s what we thought as well. But the truth is, when people know they are going to die, that last year is often the most loving, most conscious, and most caring — even under conditions of poor concentration, the side effects of medication, and so on. So don’t wait to die until you die. Start practicing now.”

Dalai Lama: “Facing Death and Dying Well”

As with everything, the Dalai Lama teaches out of an abundance of compassion. He also manages to sneak in a laugh, even on a talk about death. “Many people just want to forget about death, and then try to seek protection in alcohol.” (See Video “His Holiness the Dalai Lama talks about “Facing Death in a peaceful manner” Meridian Trust, embedded below) “There are two ways to deal with suffering and problems. The one, is simply to avoid the problem. That’s one way… The other way is, they look directly at the problem and analyze. And make it familiar to oneself.”

He explained that sickness and dying “are just a part of nature ­— a fact of life… There’s birth. So, logically, there’s death. So, that is part of our life, whether we like it or not.”

His Holiness explained that “sometimes through difficult experiences, sometimes life becomes more meaningful…” Facing and accepting death is one of these difficult experiences. “I notice that the elder generations, those people who lived through the second world war, that these people, their mental attitude becomes much stronger.” He described some suffering as “good lessons.”

“I think of my own experience. In one way, I lost my own country… and there is a lot of unhappiness and a lot of suffering… But through that I had an opportunity to meet different people… so, I think that experience enriched… those tragic experiences, also had good affect.”

Dalai Lama: “Be Mindful of Death”

In his book Advice on Dying, the Dalai Lama wrote: “It is crucial to be mindful of death — to contemplate that you will not remain long in this life. If you are not aware of death, you will fail to take advantage of this special human life that you have already attained. It is meaningful since, based on it, important effects can be accomplished.

“Analysis of death is not for the sake of becoming fearful but to appreciate this precious lifetime during which you can perform many important practices. Rather than being frightened, you need to reflect that when death comes, you will lose this good opportunity for practice. In this way contemplation of death will bring more energy to your practice.” [2]

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche: “Think about what is more important… more worthwhile”

The purpose, then, of death meditation is to inspire an “energy to practice” — even if just for ten minutes a day. In our interview with Zasep Rinpoche, he helpfully suggested: “So, think about what is more important for you. What is more worthwhile? Making another ten-minute phone call, or sending text messages, or meditating? Just schedule ten minutes in the morning, ten minutes in the evening, or fit in some mindfulness meditation during the day. Or, you can do walking meditation, standing meditation. Yes, there are some things you have to do. You have to talk on the phone and do text messages. But, you don’t have to be so busy that you can’t find time to meditate for ten minutes.

“Just last week I was on the street car and I saw this man, in his car, sending text messages, and smoking a cigarette, and also sipping on coffee. He was doing four things at the same time, driving, texting, smoking and drinking coffee. I thought to myself, Why? Isn’t that a bit stressful, trying to do four things at once? (laughs) I could see he was stressed out, that’s why he was smoking. Tired, that’s why he was drinking coffee.” Meditation on impermanence, on death, can help us reset our priorities.

Thich Nhat Hanh: “The notion of death cannot be applied to reality.”

The great teacher Thich Nhat Hanh presents a somewhat more optimistic take on analyzing death:

“When you look a cloud… and then later the cloud is not there. But, if you look deeply, you can see the cloud in the rain, and that is why it’s impossible for a cloud to die. A cloud can become rain, or snow, or ice, but a cloud cannot become nothing. And that is why the notion of death cannot be applied to reality. There is a transformation, there is a continuation, but you cannot say that there is death. Because in your mind, to die, means you suddenly become nothing. From someone, you suddenly become no one… When you can remove these notions, you are free and you have no fear.” [Source video embedded below.]

The Venerable monk also said, “The Buddha did not die. The Buddha only continued. By His Sangha, by His Dharma, you can touch Buddha in the here and the now.”

Einstein: “Past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.”

Einstein had a similar concept of “transformation” rather than “extinction.” After the death of a close friend, he wrote, in 1955: “Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” He later elaborated on this notion. ““Space and time are not conditions in which we live, they are modes in which we think.”

Einstein famously wrote, in The World As I See It (1933): “Enough for me the mystery of the eternity of life, and the inkling of the marvelous structure of reality, together with the single-hearted endeavor to comprehend a portion, be it ever so tiny, of the reason that manifests itself in nature.”

All carbon based life is made up of recycled material. Every atom in the universe is recycled. Nothing is every destroyed. Energy becomes matter becomes energy in an endless cycle. Of course that’s not the same as saying our “consciousness” continues after death, but it’s one reason scientists such as Einstein were supportive of many Buddhist concepts — and not fearful of their own deaths. The analysis of death, as suggested by the Dalai Lama, removes that fear.

VIDEO: Einstein “How I See the World”

Venerable Ribur Rinpoche: “people in the west don’t want to hear about impermanence and death “

One reason many Buddhist live fearlessly is a firm belief in the logical doctrine of rebirth, as partially described by Thich Nhat Hanh in his cloud analogy. Ribur Rinpoche — who, himself, lived day-by-day under threat of death under oppression in his Tibetan homeland for 23 years — explained why he thinks Westerners tend to fear death:

“In general people in the west don’t want to hear about impermanence and death… This is wrong. This is very wrong. At the time of death we don’t want to be sad… It is now, while we are alive, that we have to think about it. In this way, we have to think about it correctly, and to make the right preparation…” [“Death and Rebirth” embedded video below]

He explained the importance of this understanding. “If you don’t understand impermanence, you won’t be practicing anyway. You’ll think, oh yes, I have to practice Dharma, but I can do it tomorrow. Or day after tomorrow. Or next year. As Lama Tsongkhapa said ‘In this way, I say I can do it later, I can do it later, and then your whole life goes by.’ You won’t achieve anything. Therefore, you won’t be able to abandon the fantasies related to this life… Your mind will be trapped within the eight worldly dharmas.”

“There are no methods that will prevent me from dying. Definitely, I’m going to die. That is certain…” He explained that without an understanding of impermanence, karma and rebirth, there is no encouragement to practice morality.

Ondrea Levine: “I think our fear on dying is a loss of control… Those thoughts are your conditioning.”

In their book, A Year to Live Stephen and Ondrea Levine wrote extensively about the key benefit of meditating on death from a palliative point-of-view. Stephen himself recently passed, and Ondrea has cancer, so they speak with authority.

“There’s a great deal of fear of death,” Ondrea said in a LevineTalks Video (embedded below). “People think they can get rid of it… Of course there’s fear of death. I’m not really afraid of death and what comes after. Because of my practice, I know this body will die… but, I do have fear around the process of dying.”

“No one wants to be in pain. No one wants to lose control. I think our fear on dying is a loss of control. This is natural. This is a normal fear… because death is the unknown.” She spoke about how we can rely on our teachers, such as the Buddha, and gain comfort, but that ultimately we have to experience, in our own practice, something “larger than our own little minds. So, whatever your practice is, you have to practice to work on your fears.” She illustrated with mindfulness practice.

She emphasized that those fears, “those thoughts are not you. Those thoughts are your conditioning.” She suggested mindfulness as a helpful method. “Become mindful of the situation. Become mindful.” She illustrated with a trip to her own doctor for test results. “I just examine my body. I try to slow my breath down. I’m sitting in the waiting room, instead of distracting myself by reading magazines… Slow the breath down. In slowing it down, it calms the whole body.” Analyzing your own body and your own fears is “a skillful means of being open to the unpleasant.”

Deathbed Wishes: “I wish I had played… more.”

In an interview in Trycicle Magazine, Ondrea Levine said, “I think the greatest benefit of the year-to-live practice is the opportunity it provides to reassess our priorities. When we worked with people on their deathbed, we would often hear the following three complaints: I wish I had gotten divorced earlier; I wish I had taken a job for love of the work, not money; I wish I had played and enjoyed myself more. So the beauty of the practice is that we can evaluate our lives even before we are on our deathbed. If we are not living the life we wish to live, how can we change that now, while there is still time?

“I can say this, because I have cancer. And I know that once you get that diagnosis, no matter how much you already know, something happens, everything becomes much more real. Ironically, it brings greater permission to be fully alive. I find it very exciting.”

Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing: Caring for End-of-Life Buddhists

“Tibetan Buddhism is one of the fastest growing religions in the United States,” wrote Marilyn Smith-Stoner, PhD, RN in her helpful article on Palliative care for Buddhists in the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing. She adds: “The care they request at the end of life is different in many aspects from traditional end-of-life care.”

This helpful guide, specifically written for Palliative caregivers, gave helpful insights for non-Buddhists who might be caring for a Buddhist: “In all Buddhist traditions, four fundamental contemplations compose the foundation of understanding and meditation: first, that a human rebirth is extremely precious and should be used to its highest spiritual potential; second, that all compounded phenomena are impermanent, and whoever is born is bound to die; third, that beings experience relative reality as compared to ultimate nature that arises interdependently with their own actions; fourth, that all beings suffer, and human beings suffer particularly from birth, sickness, old age, and death.”

Buddha: The Story of Krisha Gotami and the Mustard Seeds

In this helpful guide for Palliative caregivers, the author uses the commontly cited story of the Mustard Seeds:

“In all Buddhist traditions, four fundamental contemplations compose the foundation of understanding and meditation:[2] first, that a human rebirth is extremely precious and should be used to its highest spiritual potential; second, that all compounded phenomena are impermanent, and whoever is born is bound to die; third, that beings experience relative reality as compared to ultimate nature that arises interdependently with their own actions; fourth, that all beings suffer, and human beings suffer particularly from birth, sickness, old age, and death.”

From the Sacred Text “The Mustard Seed”:

Kisa Gotami repaired to the Buddha and cried: “Lord and Master, give me the medicine that will cure my boy.” The Buddha answered: “I want a handful of mustard-seed.” And when the girl in her joy promised to procure it, the Buddha added: “The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent, or friend.” Poor Kisa Gotami now went from house to house, and the people pitied her and said: “Here is mustard-seed; take it!” But when she asked Did a son or daughter, a father or mother, die in your family?” They answered her: “Alas the living are few, but the dead are many. Do not remind us of our deepest grief.” And there was no house but some beloved one had died in it.

Kisa Gotami became weary and hopeless, and sat down at the wayside, watching the lights of the city, as they flickered up and were extinguished again. At last the darkness of the night reigned everywhere. And she considered the fate of men, that their lives flicker up and are extinguished. And she thought to herself: “How selfish am I in my grief! Death is common to all; yet in this valley of desolation there is a path that leads him to immortality who has surrendered all selfishness.” [10]

Tibetan Book of the Dead: “Describes the dying process in detail”

The Journal article cites the importance of palliative workers being familiar with the Tibetan Book of the Dead, and then goes on to summarize high-level understandings that might be comforting to the Buddhist facing end-of-life. Important, especially, is the definition of death, which in various traditions of Buddhism is quite different from the medical definition. Robert Thurman, the respected Tibetan Buddhist teacher, said the Tibetan Book of the Dead “organizes the experiences of the between—(Tibetan, bar-do) usually referring to the state between death and rebirth.” [11]

Leonard Cohen Narrates a Film on The Tibetan Book of the Dead (video):

The author instructs care-professionals from a Tibetan Buddhist point of view, “it is believed that the nexus of consciousness—at its most subtle level of cognizance and movement—can remain in the body for up to 3 days or longer, depending on the circumstances of death. If the body dies by accident or violence, if the body is undisturbed, or if certain rituals are performed to liberate it from the body, the consciousness may exit immediately. In these cases, the body is merely a corpse and nothing unusual needs to be considered. But, after a peaceful death, Tibetan Buddhists are exceptionally concerned about what happens to the body in the moments and days after death, and they try to ensure that the consciousness exits from the crown of the head.”

Helpfully, the article instructs care-givers to inquire who the patient’s teacher may be and cautions the teacher may live far away. The guide also mentions the practice of P’howa, which means “transference of consciousness” as part of the ongoing spiritual training. P’howa prayers may be recited for years prior to the actual time of death.”

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche: “You can do non-traditional Powa … for other people.”

In our extensive interview with Venerable Zasep Rinpoche we did have an opportunity to ask about Powa or P’howa. I asked, “Is Powa practice helpful for the dying (Transferring the Consciousness)?”

Zasep Rinpoche replied, helpfully: “Powa is a Tibetan word, it means “transferring the consciousness.” I usually say, not everybody should practice this. I don’t want to give people the wrong idea. We do Powa practice as a training. When you know you have some illness or you are dying, if you think death come soon, then it’s a good time to practice. But Powa requires instructions. In traditional Powa practice you have visualize chakras and channels and so on.”

For caregivers, however, Rinpoche had some special advice: “But, you can do a non-traditional Powa—mild Powa, a simple kind of Powa—for other people. Sort of guiding. I call it Powa for the West. For instance if you’re a family member, or in palliative care, and you talk to the patient, you might say as they are dying: ‘You know you are dying now. Let it go. You should go peacefully. As you go, imagine you are going to the Pure Land, or going into the Light, or into Eternal Bliss or Nirvana.’ You could call this kind of help, Powa for the West. It’s not traditional Powa.”

The Zen Master and the Cake

Rinpoche told a story—  illustrating the importance of a peaceful death — during the interview:

“I’ll tell you a story of a Zen Master. He was dying. And he told his attendant ‘Bring me my favorite cake!’ Rice cake. While he was munching the rice cake, his consciousness slipped away. He slipped away while enjoying his rice cake. In a way, this was a kind of Powa. He enjoyed his rice cake peacefully, and no sign of struggling, fear, worry, just passing the consciousness peacefully, happily.”

Venerable Thanissaro Bhikkhu: When dying, “meditation is the one thing that won’t abandon you”

Dying is the one thing we all will face. Buddhists are usually taught to spend their practice hours in one form or another of meditation: mindfulness, analytical mediation (such as on Death), and visualization.

When the time comes to die, explains Venerable Thanissaro Bhikku, meditation is the one thing that will not abandon you:

“What all this boils down to is that, as long as you are able to survive, meditation will improve the quality of your life, so that you can view pain and illness with equanimity and learn from them. When the time comes to go, when the doctors have to throw up their hands in helplessness, the skill you have been developing in your meditation is the one thing that won’t abandon you. It will enable you to handle your death with finesse. Even though we don’t like to think about it, death is going to come no matter what, so we should learn how to stare it down. Remember that a death well handled is one of the surest signs of a life well lived.” [9]

On a more optimistic note, the Venerable teacher told the story of how meditation help keep a woman with cancer alive:

“You should be very clear on one point: The purpose of meditation is to find happiness and well-being within the mind, independent of the body or other things going on outside. Your aim is to find something solid within that you can depend on no matter what happens to the body. If it so happens that through your meditation you are able to effect a physical cure, that’s all fine and good, and there have been many cases where meditation can have a remarkable effect on the body. My teacher had a student – a woman in her fifties – who was diagnosed with cancer more than 15 years ago. The doctors at the time gave her only a few months to live, and yet through her practice of meditation she is still alive today. She focused her practice on the theme that, ‘although her body may be sick, her mind doesn’t have to be.’ A few years ago I visited her in the hospital the day after she had had a kidney removed. She was sitting up in bed, bright and aware, as if nothing happened at all. I asked her if there was any pain, and she said yes, 24 hours a day, but that she didn’t let it make inroads on her mind.”

The Five Powers: Thought Transformation for a Happy Successful Death

Of course no one wants to die. Without question, we will die. In Buddhism, dying without fear, with peace, with a sense of “happiness” is a key teaching. To that end, the teaching on the Five Powers —similar to the Four Powers widely used in Purification practice — can be helpful. These are:

• The Power of Purification
• The Power of Intention
• The Power of Remorse
• The Power of Prayer
• The Power of Familiarity.

For Tibetan Buddhists, this will immediately resonate. Vajrasattva purification practice encompasses similar steps. In fact, daily Vajrasattva practice, keeps the practicing Vajaryana Buddhist ready for a fearless death (even a sudden, accidental or traumatic death.)

1. The First Power, the Power of Purificaiton is basically purification practice (whether focused on Vajrasattva or not.) These are “the 4 powers of regret, reliance, remedy and resolution; give up attachment to your possessions and make offerings of them; meditate upon refuge in the 3 Jewels, give rise to positive thoughts such as Bodhicitta; reaffirm your commitment to whatever spiritual goals and values you cultivated during your life.” [7]
2. The Second Power, The Power of Intention This power is mirrored in the Palliative Care Suggestions from the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing article. The key is developing a strong resolution not to let your mind come under the sway of disturbing emotions, even in the face of pain and suffering, and remaining focused on altruism and Bodhichitta.
3. The Third Power: The Power or Remorse By meditating on these disturbing emotions, as with all focused meditation, we can make ourselves ready for them to “protect yourself from being overwhelmed by them.”
4. The Fourth Power: the Power of Prayer Making strong aspirations and reaffirming commitments not to become separated from the Dharma, Bodhichitta and the prayer to obtain fortunate rebirth in a situation suitable to continue practicing the Dharma.
5. The Fifth Power: the Power of Familiarity P’howa practice is one method to become “familiar” and practice for the time of death. “Taking and Giving” practice is also powerful, where we visualize and meditate on “taking on the suffering of other beings” and “giving our blessings” to other beings. For those not trained by a teacher in these methods, meditation on samsara, compassion, impermanence, and Emptiness.

Buddha: Palliative Care as Taught by the Buddha

“He who attends on the sick attends on me,” said the Blessed One, the Buddha. [8]

The Buddha taught extensively on nursing and caring for the sick and dying. On many occasions, Buddha personally cleaned and tended to dying people, personally washing out their puss and wounds, and staying with them, speaking the Dharma, as they passed.

“The Buddha has enumerated the qualities that should be present in a good nurse. He should be competent to administer the medicine, he should know what is agreeable to the patient and what is not. He should keep away what is disagreeable and give only what is agreeable to the patient. He should be benevolent and kind-hearted, he should perform his duties out of a sense of service and not just for the sake of remuneration (mettacitto gilanam upatthati no amisantaro). He should not feel repulsion towards saliva, phlegm, urine, stools, sores, etc. He should be capable of exhorting and stimulating the patient with noble ideas, with Dhamma talk (A.iii,144).” [8] 

For Care-Givers: Palliative Care Suggestions for Buddhist at End of Life

In the helpful care-givers article from the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, several useful suggestions are made. [Please see the full article, cited in our notes, for full details.]

In informing caregivers about the importance of a “peaceful” passing, suggestions included:

• Allow for uninterrupted periods for religious practice, and consider playing meditative audio recordings that are reassuring to the patient, such as mantra or sutra recitation where appropriate.
• Provide an altar with religious photos and relics and keep it in the line of vision of the patient.
• “Specifying who the patient would like to be present at the time of death. The preference may be for no one to be present, especially if family and friends are very emotional or unsupportive of the religious practices.”
• Importance of the attitude of caregivers and visitors: peaceful visits, turn phones off, be relaxed and peaceful.

The article emphasizes the importance of a peaceful environment several times and notes that managing disruptive or upset visitors might be important. During the dying process, the article suggests:

• Do not disturb the patient
• For Tibetan Buddhists especially, leave the body undisturbed for as long as practically possible after death. “Buddhists believe the dying process continues for 3–4 days after what is usually accepted as “dead.” Although many laws do not allow for the body to remain in a natural state for 3–4 days, remain mindful of this to be supportive as the family is approached about the death.”
• “You may want to help the patient sit up in order to practice, or to lie on the right side, which was the position of the Buddha at his death deceased has sometimes been reported as 100 days; however, in the Vajrayana.”

Of special note the author wrote: “the period for special rituals and prayers for the tradition, the period is generally 49 days. Although this may seem like a subtle difference, it is highly relevant in the provision of individualized bereavement services in hospice.”

NOTES

[1] Two hour interview with Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche at Gaden Choling, fall teaching session 2015, full interview to be published in Buddha Weekly.

[2] Advice on Dying: And Living a Better Life, Dalai Lama

[3] A Year to Live: How to Live This Year as If It Were Your Last, Publisher: Harmony; 1st edition (April 14 1998), ISBN-10: 0609801945, ISBN-13: 978-0609801949

[4] Tricycle Magazine: Interview with Stephen Levine

[5] Levine Talks website.

[6] Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing article: “End-of-Life Needs of Patients Who Practice Tibetan Buddhism”

[7] “A Buddhist Guide to Death, Dying and Suffering” — Urban Dharma.

[8] “Ministering to the Sick and Terminally Ill” by Lily de Silva, Urban Dharma

[9] “Using Meditation to Deal with Pain, Illness and Death” Venerable Thanissaro Bhikku, Urban Dharma.

[10] Sacred Text “The Mustard Seed”

[11] Open Culture “Leonard Cohen Narrates Film on The Tibetan Book of the Dead“

The post “Learning how to die” and “Why Meditating on Death May Bring Joy to Life”: What the Buddhist Teachers Say About End of Life, Dying, and Palliative Care appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation and Views.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Buddha Weekly begins its special series “Interviews with the Teachers” with an extensive hours-long interview with the most Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. Rinpoche is spiritual director of many temples, meditation centres and retreat centres in Australia, the United States and Canada and teaches also in Mexico and Mongolia. He was first invited to teach in Australia by Lama Thubten Yeshe in 1976.

Do you have a teacher you’d like to recommend for a Buddha Weekly Interview? Please use our “Suggest a Teacher” Contact Form>>

In Part 1, now published here>>

Zasep Rinpoche discusses decades of teaching; mindfulness meditation; advice for beginner students; and funny stories of his teacher H.H. Zong Rinpoche.

Excerpt:

Zasep Rinpoche on the importance of mindfulness meditation: “You make the choice. Why not put aside a little time for meditation? Meditation doesn’t make you even more busy. Actually, it makes you more calm, and it helps you. It improves the quality of your daily activity — your work. It also gives you energy. Meditation helps boost your immune system. Why? In part because meditation releases stress… So, think about what is more important for you. What is more worthwhile? Making another ten-minute phone call, or sending text messages, or meditating?”

Zasep Rinpoche on an auspicious event: “Gaden Choling is a very old centre. I can share a few interesting stories. I came here in the autumn of 1981. When I arrived here, there was an auspicious event, something that had not happened before. Three great lamas arrived in Toronto at the same year.

“H.H. the Dalai Lama came in October to Toronto for the first time. Then, H.H. the 16th Karmapa arrived in November. Then, my teacher, H.H. Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, he also arrived in November. All these things happened in the fall of 1981 in Toronto…” (continued in interview)

Zasep Rinpoche on his teacher H.H. Zong Rinpoche: “He had a great sense of humor. He likes sight-seeing. We went to Disney Land in Los Angeles, and we walked all day. At the end of the day, I said, “Are you tired?” and he laughed and said “No!”

I asked him, “What was the Disney Land experience like for you?”

He said, “It’s like going through the Bardo”. Because it’s between death and birth. You know, because it’s sort of not real. And he laughed. He thought that was very funny…” (continued in interview…)  Interview now published >>

In Part 2, published Monday February 29

Zasep Rinpoche discusses how Buddhism can help with today’s problems; on how we should think of hell realms and reincarnation; and how to practice when you have so little time.

Excerpt:

Zasep Rinpoche on western perspectives of hell realms: “You can have a hell realm right now in your mind. For example, if your mind is tormented all the time. Today, there is so much suffering and mental illness. If you are suffering now, then you are in already in the hell realm. If your mind is so agitated, angry, distracted and jealous — then, you already experiencing the demigod realm. If you are always greedy, never satisfied, or you feel you are deprived or poor, and you want more, more, more — if you are always grasping after money, then your mind is like the mind of a hungry ghost. If you always blissful, happy, calm, joyful — then your mind is like the god realm. All six realms can be experienced right here in this lifetime.”

Zasep Rinpoche on rebirth: “A lady came to me once and said, ‘I call myself a Buddhist, but I don’t believe in reincarnation.’ I said to her, ‘You can be a Buddhist without believing in reincarnation. You’re not saying that you disbelieve it, just that you don’t have proof. Buddha himself said, be in the present moment, be here now… Don’t worry about the past. It’s only memories. The future is a dream. Don’t worry about the future. Stay in the now. The most important thing is to watch your body, speech and mind, and if you cultivate virtues, and practice loving kindness, then you are a good Buddhist.” (continued in interview…) Interview publishes Monday, February 29 at 5pm ET.

In Part 3, published Monday March 7

Zasep Rinpoche discusses internet Dharma, the importance of meditation on death, about deity yoga; and gay marriage.

Excerpt:

Zasep Rinpoche on the rise of internet dharma: “Generally, it has a positive effect. It’s beneficial to have easy access to teachings on YouTube, and you can download material, pictures and sadhanas and you can find so much information. It’s generally useful and helpful… It all depends on the individual. Internet can be very impersonal, you know? It can also be addictive. Even some monks, now, instead of holding malas and doing mantras, they have their phones in hand, sending messages, text messages. In some ways it’s nice. The monks even use chat for spiritual debating. But in some ways it’s really bad. Instead of doing mantras and practices, they spend time online.”

Zasep Rinpoche on the importance of death meditation: “Generally, meditating on death and dying is very important. In Lamrim, it says, “Meditating on death and dying helps motivate Dharma practice.” Life is too short. Death can happen any time, you don’t know. As we get older, we know we don’t have much time left. I’ve got maybe ten years, fifteen years, maybe twenty years. So, the time goes fast, and death’s going to happen sooner or later.”

Zasep Rinpoche on initiations: “Don’t be a spiritual materialist. You need a good base in Sutra and Lamrim practice. Then, if you want to do Deity Yoga you don’t try to jump. Don’t rush. Practice Lower Tantra first.”

Zasep Rinpoche on finding a teacher: “That’s a difficult question. You have to decide what you want in a teacher. If you are new to Buddhism, and looking at a particular teacher, you should find out their background. You should go to their talks and teachings. Where did he or she study? How many years retreats has the teacher completed? What kind of study he or she did… You have to go around, listen to teachings, listen to different teachers, then decide.” (Continued in interview…) Interview Publishes March 7 at 5-m ET.

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche returns in April to Gaden Choling in Toronto, Canada for extensive teachings and retreats:

The post Buddha Weekly Special: Interviews with the Buddhist Teachers — Zasep Tulku Rinpoche appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Part 1 of a 3-part Feature Interview with the Most Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche.

Interview by Derek Lee Kane

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche is always quick to smile and laugh, regardless of a hectic teaching schedule that has him spending many hours flying around the world.

Despite a very tight three week schedule of teachings at Gaden Choling in Toronto, the Venerable teacher found time for an in-depth interview with Buddha Weekly just before he was to perform a marriage ceremony at 2pm. Two hours later, we were still talking, even though he was about to officiate at a marriage of two women.

Long Lineage of Celebrated Lamas

Rinpoche is popularly known for his approachable teaching style, strong humor and teachings based on a long lineage of great lamas. His own gurus included the most celebrated of Gelug teachers: His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Thupten Wanggyel, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Venerable Lati Rinpoche, Venerable Tara Tulku Rinpoche and Venerable Khalkha Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche.

Rinpoche is spiritual director of many temples, meditation centers and retreat centers in Australia, the United States and Canada. He was first invited to teach in Australia by Lama Thubten Yeshe in 1976.

A Warm Welcome

When I entered Gaden Choling Toronto, Rinpoche himself came down to meet me, casually dressed, and warmly shook my hand. I followed him to a private room, where we sat casually in chairs. He asked about Buddha Weekly and some personal questions, then invited me to go ahead and ask him anything. He kindly agreed to let me audio record.

Even though there was no need to warm up Rinpoche to the interview I decided the best place to start was the very beginning. Rinpoche was recognized as 13th Tulku (incarnation) of Lama Konchog Tenzin of Zuru Monastery at the age of five, in 1952. Naturally, I started there. (For a full biography of Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, please read the article on Buddha Weekly>>)

Transcript of Interview with Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

Buddha Weekly: When were you first recognized as a Tulku?

Zasep Rinpoche: I was recognized by three high lamas from three different sects: the 16th Karmapa, Jetrung Rinpoche, and Trijang Rinpoche.

Buddha Weekly: When did you leave Tibet?

Zasep Rinpoche: 1959.

Buddha Weekly: When did you first come to North America and why?

Zasep Rinpoche: I came to Canada in 1980. I first arrived in Nelson BC. I had met a person when I was teaching in Australia — she’s a Tibetan Buddhist from Nelson — and she invited me to Nelson to teach at a local college. It’s called the David Thompson University center. She asked me to teach Buddhist philosophy and meditation January through to April.

I taught Buddhist debate and logic. The main reason why I came to Canada was I wanted to come to the west to do some translation of some Tibetan Buddhist texts into English and also do some teaching. And also to learn for myself about western culture and way of life. I thought it would be beneficial for myself and for others.

Buddha Weekly: You also lived and taught in Australia?
Zasep Rinpoche: Before I came to Canada I lived in Australia. For three years I was the translator for Geshe Thubten Loden. I was also invited by a famous lama, Chogyam Trungpa , founder of Naropa Institute. He invited me to Boulder Colorado to teach at the Naropa Institute the summer of 1980. I went down there and taught debate and logic to many students, including Alan Ginsberg.

I then went to Anchorage Alaska, invited by a Tibetan student. Then in 1982, Naropa Institute invited me again to teach on Emptiness and Shunyata.

Buddha Weekly: What Led to the First Canadian Center?

Zasep Rinpoche: In spring of 1981, I met a group of people, Canadians who are Tibetan Buddhists who wanted to start a dharma centre in Nelson, called it Tashi Choling. And we’ve had a centre ever since. From 1981 until 2001 we rented a space for teachings, for almost 20 years. We bought the land in 2001, then we started building a retreat centre.

We had land with a house, and in 2009 we began to build. We had ten day working retreats, work and meditate, work and meditate. A group of my Australia Dharma students who practice the martial art Tangsotao came every year for the last five years. They helped so much, and their devotion and dedication helped us complete construction of our beautiful temple in Nelson B.C.

Summer working retreat with students and friends who helped build the beautiful Gaden Tashi Choling Retreat Centre in scenic Nelson, British Columbia:

Buddha Weekly: You still teach in Australia?

Zasep Rinpoche: I go down to Australia every second year. It’s a nice time, and its much warmer, since it is their summer. I’m going there in December 2017.

Buddha Weekly: How do you decide what to teach?

Zasep Rinpoche: Students put together requests. That’s my style, they request teachings. For instance, in Australia, Pedro Sousa who is wonderful Dharma student of mine, organizes teachings and my tour for the centers. He is wonderful person. He contacts me with the requests from students.

Buddha Weekly: You also teach in often in Mongolia?

Zasep Rinpoche: Every year. I do a lot of initiations, individual counseling, and healing for individuals and families. Also, prayers and ceremonies, consecrations of stupas and prosperity vases, and blessing for children. A lot of these are things that we don’t do in the west.

And sometimes I just go to the countryside and hang out with my friends in Mongolia. I like to go horse riding. In Mongolia, there are only three-and-a-half million people. One hour after you leave the capital city, you’ll see nothing for miles and miles. Then, you’ll see a single yurt. There are lots of roads, but there are no signs and no speed limits. Unbelievable, beautiful countryside. They have nine million horses — three times more horses than people.

Buddha Weekly: Gaden Choling Toronto has a long history. How Did the Centre End up here?

Zasep Rinpoche: Gaden Choling is a very old centre. I can share a few interesting stories. I came here in the autumn of 1981. When I arrived here, there was an auspicious event, something that had not happened before. Three great lamas arrived in Toronto at the same year.

H.H. the Dalai Lama came in October to Toronto for the first time. Then, H.H. the 16th Karmapa arrived in November. Then, my teacher, H.H. Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, he also arrived in November. All these things happened in the fall of 1981 in Toronto. When I arrived here, we were so energized by these great lamas, that a group of dharma students of the Gelug tradition told me they were thinking of setting up a meditation centre here. They had been thinking about it for a couple of years.
When H.H. Kyabje Ling Rinpoche arrived in November, we asked Rinpoche to give us a name. He gave the name Gaden Choling. Gaden Choling means joyful dharma land.

(Interviewer’s note: Rinpoche described how they met in the living room of someone’s house for two months the first winter.)

Later, we rented a place near the Beaches for year. In 1984, we moved here, 637 Christie Street. Then in 1987, the owners wanted to sell it. She asked if we were interested. We organized some money and down payment and ever since we’ve been here. It took 23 years to pay of the mortgage. 23 years! We were very lucky. This place has always been a good place. Nice location, we have subway, buses, and the farmers market.

(Interviewer’s Note: The interview was conducted at Gaden Choling, 637 Christie Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

Buddha Weekly: Who are some of the well known teachers who have taught at Gaden Choling in the past?

Zasep Rinpoche: We had many famous lamas teach here. H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, he’s my guru, he taught here. We invited Lati Rinpoche. We invited Tara Tulku Rinpoche. We invited H.H. Khalkah Jetsun Dhampa. He gave many teachings here, and he came two times.

(Editor’s note: H.H. Ninth Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche, the spiritual head of the Jonang tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and the spiritual head of Mongolia, passed away March 1, 2012.)

Then we invited a Theravadan Buddhist Master named Venerable Chan Maha Gosa Ananda. Also, we invited Kalu Rinpoche.

(Interviewers note: the previous Kalu Rinpoche, who passed in May 1989.)

Over the years we’ve done lots of retreats here. And we used to go up to Kinmount in Canada. We used to go there for retreats. They have some cabins and 400 acres.

Buddha Weekly: What are you working on now?

Zasep Rinpoche: I’m doing translations for a book on Mahamudra. We’d also like to do a retreat on Mahamudra next spring.

Buddha Weekly: You previously wrote a book on Green Tara. Tara in the Palm of Your Hand?

Zasep Rinpoche: Yes, in English, and it’s also published in Mongolian. One of my friends also translated it into Chinese.

Buddha Weekly: Is it restricted material?

Zasep Rinpoche: No, no problem, anyone can read. You can do the mantra also without initiation. To do the sadhana in the book, you should have the initiation. If you don’t have initiation, you can visualize Tara in front of you, as an object of prayer and reverence. But you can’t visualize yourself as the deity without initiation.

(Interviewers note: restricted teachings are advanced teachings that should not be studied/practiced without permission of a teacher who has given suitable training/initiation.)

Buddha Weekly: Where can a reader buy the book?

Zasep Rinpoche: It can be sent by mail, or picked up here. People usually just send a check to Gaden Choling for $30. Or you can make the check to Zasep Tulku. Just on the check, write: For Tara Book.

(Editor: Gaden Choling, 637 Christie St, Toronto, Canada M6G 3E6)

Buddha Weekly: Can you share any fun stories about your great teachers? You’ve had so many famous gurus.

Zasep Rinpoche: Yes. I can share a story of H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. Zong Rinpoche was an abbot of Ganden Monestary — a former abbot. At that time there were 3,000 monks in Tibet, before 1959.

(Editor: 1959, the year China invaded Tibet.)

After he was the abbot, he took a long, long retreat — four years or something. Then, he came over to India and did lots of initiations and teachings.

He was a very beautiful person. You can see the picture over there.

(Rinpoche indicates picture of his guru Zong Rinpoche on the altar.)

He was an amazing person. He was very charismatic, beautiful smile, beautiful voice. He was a meditation master, tantric yogi, and also, an artist. He was a beautiful artist. He made beautiful ritual objects, sculptures, drawings, paintings. He was a wonderful master of Chod, and an amazingly beautiful chanter, singer and drummer. You could say he was also a musician. He had so many qualities, enlightened qualities. And he was a very strict teacher. He was very strict with his students. He wanted them to practice hard.

Towards the end of his life, the last 7 years, he only slept about 3 hours a night. He could teach all day. I remember several times where he’d sit on the throne for six hours non-stop: teaching, doing prayers, chanting. For six hours! So much energy!

Zong Rinpoche: Disney Land is “like going through the Bardo.”

Zasep Rinpoche: He had a great sense of humor. He likes sight-seeing. We went to Disney Land in Los Angeles, and we walked all day. At the end of the day, I said, “Are you tired?” and he laughed and said “No!”

I asked him, “What was the Disney Land experience like for you?”

He said, “It’s like going through the Bardo”. Because it’s between death and birth. You know, because it’s sort of not real. And he laughed. He thought that was very funny.

Zong Rinpoche in the Shopping Mall

Zasep Rinpoche: When we went to a shopping mall, he saw all these people on the escalator. He thought that was so funny. The escalator’s moving, but people, they still run up and down the stairs.

Zong Rinpoche and the toys

Zasep Rinpoche: I have a fun story. One time we were in Eatons. And he bought a whole bunch of plastic apples, bananas and fruits. So I said, “Why are you buying all this stuff?” and he said, “When I go back to India I’ll put them on the altar. They’ll never go bad.”

(Rinpoche laughs.)

And then he took us into the toy shop, and he bought lots of toys. A whole box of toys!

I assumed, and his attendant assumed, that when he goes back to India he’ll give it to the children, right? But when he went back to India, he didn’t give the toys away.

Then, a few months later, he passed away. Then, after he was reborn, the child, his reincarnation, was playing with those toys. He did the toy shopping for his next incarnation! His new incarnation is a beautiful young lama in south India. He is already teaching. He passed away in 1987, then he was born a few months later. He must be about 28 to 30 years old now.

Buddha Weekly: What would you say to a student who says they have no time to practice?

Zasep Rinpoche: You make the choice. Why not put aside a little time for meditation? Meditation doesn’t make you even more busy. Actually, it makes you more calm, and it helps you. It improves the quality of your daily activity — your work. It also gives you energy. Meditation helps boost your immune system. Why? In part because meditation releases stress.

So, think about what is more important for you. What is more worthwhile? Making another ten-minute phone call, or sending text messages, or meditating? Just schedule ten minutes in the morning, ten minutes in the evening, or fit in some mindfulness meditation during the day. Or, you can do walking meditation, standing meditation. Yes, there are some things you have to do. You have to talk on the phone and do text messages. But, you don’t have to be so busy that you can’t find time to meditate for ten minutes.

Just last week I was on the street car and I saw this man, in his car, sending text messages, and smoking a cigarette, and also sipping on coffee. He was doing four things at the same time, driving, texting, smoking and drinking coffee. I thought to myself, Why? Isn’t that a bit stressful, trying to do four things at once? (laughs) I could see he was stressed out, that’s why he was smoking. Tired, that’s why he was drinking coffee.

Buddha Weekly: So, for someone like that driver, what practice would you advise?

Zasep Rinpoche: I would say ten minutes mindfulness meditation in the morning, ten minutes in the evening. Meditation in the morning is good, it helps relieve stress throughout the day. Meditate in the evening, it helps you get better sleep. This is purely from a psychological point of view, not even a Lamrim point of view.

Buddha Weekly: For newcomers to Buddhism, what would you advise as a good starting practice?

Zasep Rinpoche: Good question. For someone who’s really new to Buddhism, they should start with a book on basic Buddhist meditation, covering the four noble truths. I don’t always suggest Tibetan Buddhism. I myself also studied Theravadan Buddhism and Zen.

I’ve been teaching Dharma in the west for 35 years, so I have some experience in teaching for westerners at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.

One book I suggest for beginners is basically about the four noble truths. It’s called ‘What the Buddha Taught’ by Walpola Rahula. [1] I always recommend that. It’s a really good book for people to learn why Buddhism is so relevant today. Suffering, problems, death. Then you realize our suffering is caused by our attachments.

NOTES

[1] What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition witdh Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada, Walpola Rahula, Grove Press, ISBN-10: 0802130313 ISBN-13: 978-0802130310

CONTINUED in PART 2, Monday February 29

Zasep Rinpoche discusses how Buddhism can help with today’s problems; on how we should think of hell realms and reincarnation; and how to practice when you have so little time.

Spring teachings at Gaden Choling: Zasep Rinpoche returns to Gaden Choling Toronto and also Owen Sound for teachings throughout April, 2016.

Rinpoche’s guidelines for the teachings (prerequisites and/or commitments, if any):

• “In order to attend the Yamantaka teaching you require the initiation.”

• “Any one can attend the six session Guru yoga teaching. This is a teaching on how to do the Six session Guru Yoga.”

• “In order to do self initiation you have to do mantra retreat first, then you are qualified to do the self initiation. But to attend the teaching on how to do self initiation you don’t need to do the retreat, however you do need the initiation as prerequisites.”

• “The Kalachakra Sahaja initiation can be taken as a blessing if you are very beginner into Buddhism.”

• “There are no commitments for receiving La Gug practise and Medicine Buddha initiation can be taken as a blessing.”

Zasep Rinpoche in Owen Sound this April:

The post Zasep Tulku Rinpoche discusses decades of teaching, advice for beginner students and funny stories of his teachers. appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Today, September 7, is the birthday of one of the eminent teachers in Tibetan Buddhism, His Holiness, Sakya Trizin. It’s always bittersweet when a great being reaches the age of seventy—we can be thankful for decades of teachings and care, but at the same time apprehensive about the future and, with attachment, desperately wish for many decades more.

Festivities are planned around the world in honor of this Bodhisattva: Tsog offerings, banquets, fireworks, songs and dances. In August, he celebrated his birthday early in his U.S. seat in New York.

The Sakya Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism is one of the four great religious traditions in Tibet. While it is not my main tradition, I’ve attended events and teachings.

A few years ago I had the honor to meet and receive teachings from His Holiness Sakya Trizin, during a Vajrakilaya initiation in Toronto, Canada. It was an event permanently etched into my memory, a cherished moment. At the time it was a little stressful, due to the vast popularity of this great man. I bought advance tickets, and even though I was early, I only managed to get tickets on the lower floor of Riwoche temple, where the event was held. http://www.riwoche.com

When I arrived, I understood the overwhelming popularity of His Holiness. There wasn’t a parking spot to be had within a half hour walk of the temple. By the time we got there, the lineup was fully one street block long. Even thought I thought we was two hours early, I now worried if we’d even get in. A quick inquiry of the patient people in line indicated that yes, they were advance ticket holders.

Respectfully—nearly an hour of shuffling in line later—we all crowded in, although we were in the lower level. As “latecomers” we were relegated to watching by “live feed” on a giant screen (with a full room of devotees). It was a powerful experience, even by big screen. I didn’t need to be in the main temple area to feel his searing presence, and to feel the warmth from his glowing smile. When the event ended, I was literally the last in line to meet His Holiness, winding step-by-step up the stairs. Even with such overwhelming numbers, His Holiness spent time with each attendee and offered blessings.

Biography of His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin

His Holiness was born September 7, 1945 with the Sanskrit name of Ayu Vajra, a lineage holder of the family Khon that dates back to 1073 A.D. According to tradition he received his actual name, Ngawang Kunga Thengchen Palbar Trinley Samphel Wangyi Gyalpo, with he received his first initiation. Many auspicious signs accompanied his birth.

He lost both his parents when he was young and was raised by his maternal aunt. He had two main tutors in his youth, who prepared him for his duties as head of the Sakya lineage. Amazingly, at the age of five his root teacher bestowed profound teachings, and at seven he passed an oral exam on the Hevajra root tantra. His first major retreat was at the age of eight.

His Holiness underwent extensive preparation for enthronement, including the lengthy Vajakilaya ritual. In 1959, the year the Chinese invaded Tibet, he was enthroned the 41st Sakya Trizin of the great Sakya lineage. As with other great teachers, including the Dalai Lama, he left Tibet, exiled from his homeland. His first act was to help Tibetans adjust to their new life in exile, and to ensure preservation of the authentic teachings. He established the Sakya Guru monastery in Darjeeling.

In 1962, only seventeen years of age, His Holiness gave his first Hevajra initation. In 1963, he established the main seat of the Sakya Order in Rajpur. Over the next few years, His Holiness began teaching tours of America, Asia and Europe.

To carry on the great lineage he married Dagmo Tashi Lhakee in 1974, and they celebrated the birth of their eldest son Ratna Vajra the next year. In 1979, his younger son Gyana Vajra was born.

His Holiness in known for his extensive world tours, not only to Sakya centres, but—as was the case when I attended an initiation—often invited to Buddhist centres of other traditions. His tireless journey has introduced Tibetan and Tantric Buddhism to many followers around the world. He also established the Sakya College in Rajpur and Sakya Institute in Puruwala.

Sakya Lineage

The Sakya Lineage is one of the four great traditions of Tibet, founded in the 11th century. At one time, during the 13th and 14th centuries, the Sakya lineage was, literally, the political power, ruling over Tibet. The great ancestor of the Sakya Trizin was Khon Konchok Gyalpo (1034-1102), the founder of the Sakyas. There were five great founders or patriarchs of the Sakya Tradition as well: Sachen Künga Nyingpo (1092-1158), Loppön Sonam Tsemo (1142-1182), Jetsün Drakpa Gyaltsen (1147-1216), Sakya Pandita (1182-1251), and Drogön Chogyal Phagpa (1235-1280).

In 1240, the granson of Genghis Khan, Prince Godan, invited Kunga Gyaltsen (1181-1251), the Sakya Pandita, to instruct him in Buddhism. It is these teachings that largely persuaded Prince Godan from drowning Chinese prisoners, as was their custom. The Sakya Pandita told Prince Godan it was against the teachings of the Buddha. The tradition of association with the Mongolians continued in 1253 with Kublai Khan, and in return the Khan continued support of the Sakya lineage’s political leadership of Tibet. Shortly after the passing of the Kublai Khan, the Sakya lamas removed themselves from politics, and focused solely on the teachings, having helped spread the Buddha’s word to Mongolia and tempering the violence of the conquering Khan.

Today, the Sakya lineage is treasured by followers around the world, with many noble projects under the direct guidance of His Holiness, including a Hospital, academies, religious centers, colleges, monasteries and a nunnery.

A schedule of events of His Holiness the Sakya Trizin can be found here>>

Long Life Prayer for His Holiness Sakya Trizin

From the Sakya Rinchen Choling Nunnery site>>

PRAYER FOR THE LONG LIFE OF HIS HOLINESS THE SAKYA TRIZIN,  NGAWANG KUNGA THEGCHEN PALBAR TRINLAY SAMPHEL WANGGI GYALPO

By Ngawang Lodrup

Chi Med Mi Shik Sung Wa’i Kur Khang Nang

Chi Med Tshay Jin Lha Mo Chen Dun Ma

Chi Med Tshay La Wang Wa’i Tshok Nam Kyi

Chi Med Tshay Yi Ngo Drup Tshal Tu Sol

Rik Sum Ped Ma’i Thuk Kyed Lha Lam Nay

Khyen Tsay Nu Thu’i Rang Zuk Nyin Mor Ched

Sa Ten Lung Tok Ped Tshal Gay Dzed Nay

Dul Cha Ling Zhi’i Gon Tu Tak Ten Sol

Nga Wang Gyu Trul Lha Rik Khon Gyi Dung

Dro Kun Ga Dzed Thek Chen Do Ngak Lam

Phen De’i Pal Tu Bar Wee Trin Lay Chen

Sam Phel Wang Gi Gyal Po Shab Ten Sol

Nam Tak Trim Den Ser Gyi Sa Zhi La

Tho Sam Gom Pa’i Rin Chen Dul Mang Tsek

Ched Tsod Tsom Tang Jay Ten Pang Rim Gay

Kyab Chok Ri Wang Lhun Por Ten Zhuk So

Gyal Wa Nyi Pa Jay Tsun Gong Ma Ngay

Gyal Ten Chik Du Nyen Gyud Tshed Ma Zhi

Gyal Wa’i Lam Zang Zab Mo Lob Shed Nam

Gyal Wa Ji Zhin Ton Dzed Zhab Ten Sol

Phun Tshok Gyal Sid Dun Gyi Ta Shi Pal

Pal Den Sa Kya’i Cho Sid Pal Bar Nay

Nay Chog Dzam Ling Jay Pa’i Gyen Tu Chon

Chon Zhin Sang Sum Dor Jay Tar Ten Sol

Lu Med La Ma Chok Sum Thuk Jay Tang

Yi Dam Ten Sung Gya Tsho’i Thu Tob Tang

Cho Nyid Zab Mo Gyur Med Den Pa’i Thu

Ji Tar Sol Wa’i Dod Ton Drub Gyur Chik

PRAYER FOR THE LONG LIFE OF HIS HOLINESS THE SAKYA TRIZIN, NGAWANG KUNGA THEGCHEN PALBAR TRINLAY SAMPHEL WANGGI GYALPO

In immortal life’s protective wheel,

Seven-eyed One granting deathlessness,

Great assemblage granting deathlessness,

Grant attainment of immortal life!

Path divine of Padmasambhava,

Wisdom, love and power’s radiant form,

Sakya’s blooms of insights and of words,

Master of the four worlds, long remain!

Ngawang Kunga, line of Khon, divine,

Granting benefits and joy to all,

Owner of the great and secret path,

Wish-fulfilling great King, please live long!

Meditating, thinking, listening,

Placed upon a moral golden base,

Teach, debate, compose, the Dharma’s words,

Royal sublime refuge, firm remain!

Second Buddha, Teacher of Lamdre,

Teachings of the five Sakya Founders,

Valid path of Buddha taught through speech,

You who teach like Buddha, please live long!

Having come, you who beautify this world,

Holding Sakya’s power temporal,

Radiating Sakya’s Dharma works,

Vajra like three secrets, long remain!

Triple Gem and Teacher, kind and true,

Yidam and protector, full of might,

Profound and unchanging sublime Truth,

By these powers, our hopes (will) be fulfilled!

(translated by Lama Jay Goldberg and Stephen Ang)

The post Biography and Birthday: His Holiness Sakya Trizin, Celebrating Decades of Teachings appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Buddha Weekly continues its special series “Interviews with the Teachers” with part 2 of an extensive hours-long interview with the most Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. Rinpoche is spiritual director of many temples, meditation centres and retreat centres in Australia, the United States and Canada and teaches also in Mexico and Mongolia. Future scheduled teachings from Zasep Rinpoche at end of this feature.

Part 2 of a 3-part Feature Interview with the Most Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche.

Click here to read part 1>>

Interview by Derek Lee Kane

Buddha Weekly: How does Buddhism help with today’s problems?

Zasep Rinpoche: Today, we all have many different kind of problems. Every person has their own issues, older, middle aged and young people. And society, we have a lot of problems. I see a lot of young people suffering a lot. Some of them don’t see hope for the future. For them, future doesn’t seem bright: the population so big, environmental and social problems. People get depressed and families break up.

Especially, young people need activities and positive direction and encouragement. There are so many temptations. It’s easy to associate with the wrong kinds of friends. I think all these easy entertainments, such as video games are not so good.

I’m not against technology. Online information and social media are great for spreading the dharma. Problem is, there are no boundaries online.

Importance of Lamrim Graduated Path

Zasep Rinpoche: Anyway, for any student, it’s best to meditate on suffering and causes of suffering. Meditate on the four noble truths. Today, it’s important people study and practice Lamrim. That’s the graduated path. Don’t jump right away into Tantra. Don’t look for magic, quick solutions. If it’s too quick it doesn’t work well.

Lamrim means graduated path to enlightenment. Lamrim is a profound Buddhist teaching, profound Tibetan Buddhist teaching. Lamrim helps explain where you are right now, and how to progress and improve step by step. But, there are different Lamrim books. Some books are very traditional, some are less traditional. Some are quite dry and hard to read or understand for newer students. Some topics can be more difficult for newer students, for example karma, obscurations, reincarnation. Some of the traditional texts are very rigid.

So, I recommend Treasury of Dharma: Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Course by Geshe Rabten.[2] I recommend it because it’s not so long and it’s portable. Some books have too many details to encourage new students.

Buddha Weekly: Western Students sometimes struggle with traditional Buddhist teachings on things such as reincarnation. How do you approach this for westerners?

Zasep Rinpoche: Of course I believe in karma and reincarnation. If you create unwholesome karma you do create causes for lower rebirth. But for westerners it can be a bit hard. It sounds like you don’t have a choice but to believe in these things.

A lady came to me once and said, “I call myself a Buddhist, but I don’t believe in reincarnation.”

I said to her, “You can be a Buddhist without believing in reincarnation. You’re not saying that you disbelieve it, just that you don’t have proof. Buddha himself said, be in the present moment, be here now.”

Don’t worry about the past. It’s only memories. The future is a dream. Don’t worry about the future. Stay in the now. The most important thing is to watch your body, speech and mind, and if you cultivate virtues, and practice loving kindness, then you are a good Buddhist. On the other hand, if you don’t create virtues and you create negative karma, even if you believe in reincarnation, it doesn’t do you any good. It might even be worse, because if I’ve created bad karma, I might believe I’m going to hell. Then, you are already in hell, worrying about it in this lifetime.

Buddha Weekly: What About Hell Realms? That’s maybe even harder to accept for a Western Student.

Zasep Rinpoche: For the beginner, when they read the description of hell realms in some sutras and certain Lamrim texts, it seems like these hells are actual physical locations: the hell realms and the other realms. I’m not saying that these descriptions are wrong. I’m not saying these descriptions are inaccurate. But I’m saying you can experience all six realms right here in this life.

You can have a hell realm right now in your mind. For example, if your mind is tormented all the time. Today, there is so much suffering and mental illness. If you are suffering now, then you are in already in the hell realm. If your mind is so agitated, angry, distracted and jealous — then, you already experiencing the demigod realm. If you are always greedy, never satisfied, or you feel you are deprived or poor, and you want more, more, more — if you are always grasping after money, then your mind is like the mind of a hungry ghost. If you always blissful, happy, calm, joyful — then your mind is like the god realm. All six realms can be experienced right here in this lifetime. You don’t even have to think about ‘I might go to hell’. You don’t have to wait until the next life, you can experience it now, and see how impermanent these realms are. In this life we have wars, starvation, torture, beheading, awful, awful things—worse than any hell realm could be.

Buddha Weekly: How would you advise a student who has very little time? If you have to prioritize, is it more important to learn and study, or to practice?

Zasep Rinpoche: Both are important! Even though study is good, if you don’t meditate you don’t progress.

More study of Dharma is always good, because you learn, you develop wisdom and understanding. It doesn’t matter how old you are — sometimes, when you are older it’s important to read more books.

One very famous Lama, named Sakya Pandita, wrote “Even if you are going to die tomorrow, you should start the Dharma today.” Why? Because your mind continues. Your mind doesn’t die. The body dies, the mind continues. So whatever you study in this lifetime remains with you in your mind as an imprint.

Don’t think, “I’m an old man now, waiting to die, there’s no point.” No, you should study. Studying is very important. Also, meditation is very important. You should practice.

So, to your question, for busy people, one good place to start is a book by David Michie, Buddhism for Busy People. [3] He lives in Australia. He also wrote The Dalai Lama’s Cat. He wrote another one, Mindfulness is Better than Chocolate. (laughs)

Buddha Weekly: You Yourself Are Very Busy. You seem to be always travelling to teachings.

Zasep Rinpoche: You really choose to be busy. I say to myself, “I’m a busy Lama. I’m not a lazy Lama, I’m a busy Lama.” Then, I say to myself, “Why am I such a busy Lama?” It’s because I choose to be busy. I have a choice. You have a choice.

I like to be busy. For me, it’s good for my mind. It keeps my mind stimulated. Good for my body.

Buddha Weekly: I’ve heard you mention how Psychiatry has adopted Buddhist techniques such as mindfulness? I think you also mentioned Rob Preece’s book, The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra. [4] I remember, you wrote an introduction in one of his books?

Zasep Rinpoche: Yes, that’s right. Lama Chopa, the Guru Puja. [5] When you talk about Tantric symbols and mudras and deities and colors and visualizations, the concepts make sense psychologically. Thinking of it this way is good for those already practicing Tantra. People who have received initiations and already understand the deity yoga.

But, for beginners, I don’t think it’s as good an idea. People might get confused. Then, people misunderstand. Or they jump too fast into Tantric practices.

It helps with one area. People often misunderstand Tantra. They think it’s about magic, or that you get results very fast.

For someone already practicing Tantra, yes it can be good. Personal Yidam Deity is often chosen based on what is good for them. For them it’s good to explain how it all works. For example, you have sand mandala, or a tangkha painting, mudras, offerings, tormas and cakes, ringing bell and dorje, chanting, dancing, using musical instruments — all these things are therapeutic. It’s very good for the mind, and for developing concentration. The music and dancing uplifts your mind and makes you very positive. Happy. So, it’s good for people who already have Tantric practice.

Buddha Weekly: You sometimes teach Buddhist Debate?

Zasep Rinpoche: Traditionally, Tibetan Buddhist debate is only taught in the monasteries. But in the west, students do debate, yes.
Debate and logic is very good for your practice. It sharpens the mind, and helps you learn Buddhist philosophy. The Tibetan way of debating is a very ancient way of debating. It originally comes from India, and goes back to Vedic times. So, when you debate like this, there are rules and protocols. It’s not like politicians debating before an election. (laughs) Basically, it’s very good for you to practice debate.

Buddha Weekly: Sometimes, it’s difficult to explain Guru Yoga to new students. Devotion to teacher, if you’re not an advanced student, may confuse. What’s the best way to explain Guru Yoga?

Zasep Rinpoche: For beginners, I usually don’t teach Guru Yoga. Lama Yeshe — you’ve heard of Lama Yeshe? — Lama Yeshe used to say “It’s very inconvenient for us Lamas to talk about Guru Yoga.” It seems like we’re saying “I’m a Guru, you should prostrate at my feet. I’m a Holy man.” It sounds like an ego trip. Some people feel that way. Others think, “Why? You’re a human being. I’m a human being. I understand you have knowledge and wisdom, but I don’t have to worship you.” So, it’s easily misunderstood. It’s “inconvenient.”

I studied Vipassana meditation in Thailand. In Theravadan tradition, they use the term Kalyana Mitra, which means “spiritual friend” or “spiritual coach.” You go to the teacher and you say, “I’d like you to be my teacher. I want to be your student.” And you start a “spiritual friendship.” Of course, you follow the advice, and meditate, and the student has to be open, honest, and respectful. The teacher also has to be open, honest and respectful of the student. The teacher helps the student decide what to practice, what not to practice. But it’s hard for the teacher. Especially when you’re dealing with many students, it’s hard for the teacher. It’s hard to know the mind of your student.

From my own past experience, I’ve had students who’ve had issues and past traumas. And teachers have their own issues too. Nobody’s perfect. As long as you’re a human being, you’ll have issues. 

Buddha Weekly: What about Guru Yoga from a Tantric point of view?
Zasep Rinpoche: From a Tibetan Buddhist point of view, mainly when they talk about Guru Yoga, it’s from a Tantric point of view. The Tantric view says, “You should see your Guru as a Buddha. An Enlightened One. A Perfect Buddha. They use very strong words, like “you should surrender.”

So, this has to be interpreted in different ways. When they say, “You should see your Guru as a Buddha,” you should think, what my Guru says is what Buddha says. It doesn’t mean your Guru is Buddha, and he doesn’t even walk on the floor like human beings. He can levitate or whatever. That’s not the meaning. If you think like that, then you are wrong.

Guru Yoga is not an easy one. This is why I wrote a “Guideline for Students.” [5] There should not be misunderstandings.

Buddha Weekly: Is it beneficial or a hindrance to take many initiations in Tantric Buddhism?

Zasep Rinpoche: If you took initiation previously, and the Lama returns with the same initiation, it’s beneficial to take it again and again. That’s no problem.

You have to think about, first, why do I want so many initiations. You have to think about the commitments. Usually, when you take initiation there are commitments. You have to decide if you can actually follow those commitments. If you take initiation, and you can’t, then you’re breaking your commitment, it’s not very good. Sometimes there’s no commitment, other than the Refuge Vow and Bodhisattva Vow, and the maybe the Lama says, “Well, you do the mantra as much as possible” then it’s simple.

Or, often, the Lama will say “You can take this initiation as a blessing.” Some initiations you can do that. For example, Green Tara initiation or Medicine Buddha Initiation you can take as a blessing without commitment, which means you take initiation only for the blessing, make a connection, but at this point maybe you’re not serious enough — or you don’t have time — to do the practice. Then, later on, when you are more serious, or have more time, you can take initiation as a commitment. You can make your own commitment.

So, it’s better not to take too many initiations, that’s the bottom line.

Buddha Weekly: What if a student does break the practice commitment?

Zasep Rinpoche: If you break your commitment, the next day you should do double. Say, if you have a twenty-one mantra commitment, you do forty-two.

But—keep going. Keep doing the practice. Don’t drop it. And don’t think your practice is no longer valid. If you miss your meal, you wouldn’t stop eating, you would just eat your next meal.

TO READ PART 1 OF THIS INTERVIEW, PLEASE VISIT>>

Part 3 will be published March the 7 on Buddha Weekly.

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche will be in Toronto for a full round of precious teachings at Gaden Choling Mahayana Meditation Centre and Grey Bruce Mindfulness in Owen Sound. Schedules below:

Teachings in Australia, scheduled in January 2017

(Source: Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre)

TASMANIA (tentative schedule)

• Hobart 25th January – Public Talk
• Dorje Ling Retreat/Teachings start on Saturday 28th January to Sunday February 5th

FULL AUSTRALIAN PROGRAM (tentative schedule)

• Maroochydore –  Queensland – Monday 28^th December to Tuesday 5th January 2017
  Teaching on Friday 30^th /Saturday 31st leave Tuesday 3^rd January  2017 – Maroochydore Queensland.
• URALLA AND ARMIDALE –  Friday 6^th  – Monday 16^th January 2017 – teachings.
• Travel to Woy Woy on 18th
• CENTRAL COAST Friday 20^th January to Public talk / rest 21 – 22^nd January 2017
• TASMANIA  – Monday 23^rd January to Sunday 5th February, Hobart – 25th  Public Talk, Retreat/Teachings start on Saturday 28^th February to Sunday February 5^th
• MELBOURNE Saturday 6th  – Monday 16th ^th  10 days Tibetan Buddhist Society, Friday 17th Tsongkhapa initiation, Sunday 19th  Hayagriva initiation and practice, Monday 20th evening Condense teaching on Lam Rim, February 22nd Public talk at Vairochana centre, Weekend 25^th and 26^th February, Tibetan Buddhist Society (TBC)
• PERTH March 4th -5th weekend  Mahamudra retreat, 7th Black Manjushri initiation, 9th Six armed Mahakala initiation, March 11th 12th  Weekend retreat on White Mahakala initiation. Prosperity vase making and consecration of vase whoever wish to have vase.
• DARWIN, Public talk Friday 17^th  sat 18/sun 19^th Weekend teaching.

NOTES

[1] What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada, Walpola Rahula, Grove Press, ISBN-10: 0802130313 ISBN-13: 978-0802130310

[2] Treasury of Dharma: Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Course by Geshe Rabten, Tharpa Publications ISBN-10: 0948006048, ISBN-13: 978-0948006043

[3] Buddhism for Busy People, David Michie, ISBN-10: 1559392983 ISBN-13: 978-1559392983, Snow Lion 2009.

[4] Psychology of Buddhist Tantra, Rob Preece, Snow Lion 2006, ISBN-10: 1559392630, ISBN-13: 978-1559392631

[5] Lama Chopa, the Guru Puja, Rob Preece, introduction by Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, The Sumeru Press Inc. (Sept. 1 2012),

[5] Guideline for Students, Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

The post Part 2 of Interview with the Teachers: Zasep Tulku Rinpoche discusses how Buddhism can help with today’s problems; on how we should think of hell realms and reincarnation; and how to practice when you have so little time. appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Recently, Buddha Weekly interviewed the most Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, a learned Tibetan teacher of the Gelug lineage. The spiritual head of many temples and meditation centres in Canada, United States, and Australia, the eminent guru will make his semi-annual teaching round in Toronto, Canada in April 2016. (Full schedule below, or visit Gaden Choling website>)

Rinpoche travels year-round, teaching in the United States, Mongolia, Mexico, Canada, and Australia. Rinpoche’s teachings are based on precious lineage; his own gurus included the most celebrated of Gelug teachers: His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Thupten Wanggyel, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Venerable Lati Rinpoche, Venerable Tara Tulku Rinpoche and Venerable Khalkha Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche. He was first invited to teach in Australia, by Lama Thubten Yeshe in 1976.

To Read the full interview with Zasep Rinpoche, see part 1, part 2, and part 3 of the interview.

Rinpoche Returns to Toronto after recent tours to Mexico and Mongolia

When I first interviewed Venerable Zasep Rinpoche he had just finished a full schedule of teachings and was about to perform a wedding at Gaden Choling. His schedule of teachings this season is even more gruelling, with events and retreats on all weekends in April and several events and initiations on week day evenings at Gaden Choling Toronto. He will also teach in Owen Sound, on behalf of Medicine Buddha Toronto and the Mindfulness Centre of Grey Bruce.

Most of the teachings will be at Gaden Choling Toronto, a meditation centre founded in 1981, and named by His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche at the request of Zasep Rinpoche. In addition, Rinpoche will perform Kalachakra initiations and teachings at the East Minister United Church. During his last weekend in Ontario, he will teach healing practices, including Medicine Buddha and La Gug Inner Spirit Energy Retrieval.

April 2-3: Weekend Retreat on Ngondro 4 Foundation Practice and Mahamudra

At Gaden Choling, Rinpoche will teach the preparatory foundation practices known as Ngondro (in Sanskrit “purvaka”.) Ngondro is common to all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon and are considered crucial preliminary teachings — prior to more advanced Generation and Completion Stage meditations.

In the recent Buddha Weekly interview with Rinpoche, the Venerable teacher explained: “for any student, it’s best to meditate on suffering and causes of suffering. Meditate on the four noble truths. Today, it’s important people study and practice Lamrim. That’s the graduated path. Don’t jump right away into Tantra. Don’t look for magic, quick solutions. If it’s too quick it doesn’t work well.

Ngondro is a part of the graduated path of Vajrayana Buddhism. On the second day of this special weekend, Rinpoche will teach Mahamudra meditation methods, considered among the most profound of Buddhist teachings.

Teachings 10am – 5pm on both Saturday April 2 and Sunday April 3 at Gaden Choling Mahayana Buddhist Centre 637 Christie Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

All other teachings as specified in posters inset above.

The post Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche Returns to Toronto for Extensive Round of Buddhist Teachings in April at Gaden Choling Toronto: Ngondro Foundation Practice, Mahamudra, Six Session Yoga, La Gug Life Force Retrieval and Kalachakra. appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

When all is well with the world, and you’re in peak health, it’s probably enough to eat well, exercise and see a family doctor once a year. But, if that annual doctor’s visit brings dreaded news, a diagnosis of a serious disease or condition, your doctor will probably refer to a specialist.

Specialized healing with specialized Buddha aspects

Similarly, in Mahayana Buddhism, we might be happy with our daily meditation on Shakyamuni Buddha, or your personal Yidam (meditational deity) — our metaphorical family doctor, attending to our spiritual health. In times of special need, we might turn to visualized “labeled” aspects of Buddha. Ultimately, all aspects of the Enlightened Buddha — various “labeled” deities — are one, but it can be helpful to reinforce specialized mediation goals with a focus on a particular property. For instance, if we receive that dreaded diagnosis from our doctor, we might think of “the specialists” — Enlightened aspects of Buddha that focus specifically on our problem.

NOTE: Healing meditation is NOT a replacement or alternative to traditional medical healing. These healing meditations use the power of the mind to heal and should be considered as supportive but effective.

Aggressive and assertive diseases such as cancer call for aggressive and assertive meditational deity aspects for our healing meditations. For cancer, Aids, heart disease and virulent viruses the most often recommended “specialist” is Black Manjushri. Black Manjushri practice is one of the famous Golden Dharmas of the Sakya tradition, and is widely practiced by Gelug practitioners and others under the direction of their teachers.

His Holiness Sakya Trizin: Black Manjushri purifies contaminations and impurities

How does Black Manjushri meditation help? An event with H.H. Sakya Trizin described Black Manjushri practice this way: “Black Manjushri purifies contaminations and impurities such as contagious diseases (like Ebola), and obstacles caused by disturbing nature and natural spirits by cutting trees, dirtying pure springs, digging up mountains, disturbing nature. It also purifies contaminations caused by eating the wrong food, going to impure places, wearing contaminated clothes, and the like.”

Zasep Rinpoche: Black Manjushri – “the healing benefit is there… as long as you have faith”

“Black Manjushri practice, Medicine Buddha practice, Hayagriva practice, all of those are beneficial for healing,” said Zasep Tulku Rinpoche when asked about Black Manjushri practice in a recent teaching on Ngondro at Gaden Choling Toronto.

“The healing benefit is there,” explained. “The benefit is there, certainly. Any deity yoga — Medicine Buddha, Tara, Kalachakra — all are helpful, as long as you have strong faith.” [1]   (To read our extensive three-part interview with Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, view here>>)

For instance, in Mahayana Buddhism, the specialist in “protection” could be Tara, while “wisdom” is attributed to Majushri, “compassion” to Avaolokiteshvara (Guanyin), and “healing” to Bhaisajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha. All of these are ultimately aspects of the Enlightened, of Buddha.

For Buddha Weekly features on these deities see:

Medicine Buddha here>>

Tara here>>

Avalokitesvara here>> 

Meditating on Buddha can be healing generally. Meditating on the “specialist” aspect can help signal to our minds that we seek specialized healing for cancer, or some other “life threatening disease.” Such labels are not necessary; you could just turn to Buddha (without labels) for healing. But the increased focus, the precision of visualization on healing, specialized mediations, and working with specialized “deities” can be profoundly effective.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche: the power of a laugh to heal. The power of the mind to heal.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche: Power of the mind to heal

The power of the mind to heal is well accepted by Western medicine. Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Tibetan Medicine nearly always strongly supplement therapies with mind-therapies and meditation.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche of FPMT explains in a commentary of SARS (during the SARS crisis): “The clinical way of explaining the sickness (SARS) in the West, even if it is correct, is not a complete explanation. This is because to fully understand the cause of the sickness you have to understand and have full knowledge of the mind. There is so much to learn about even just the conventional nature of the mind. In the sutras there is the explanation of the gross mind and in the tantras the explanation of the subtle mind and its functions. If the education of the mind is limited in its understanding of the causes of sickness, then the explanation of how to cure it will always be incomplete.” [2]

Lama Zopa explains that positive thinking and meditation are generally helpful, and he also mapped out practices more targeted at handling serious diseases, including strong emphasis on Black Manjushri or Black Garuda practices.

Specialist versus general practitioner

In terms of health practices, many Mahayana Buddhists would turn to Medicine Buddha — the general practitioner. For aggressive healing of life-threatening diseases, many experienced meditators turn to Black Manjushri for a more “assertive” meditation that goes right to the heart of visualized healing.

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, in a recent retreat, told the story of a student who attributed Black Manjushri practice in part to his success against cancer: “Last year a student came to me and said, ‘I discovered I have prostrate cancer.’ … Right away, I gave him Black Manjushri mantra, no initiation, just the “lung” of mantra. I told him to do the sadhana and mantra every day. Then, he went back to Australia and had the surgery. The surgery was successful. He felt that throughout that time, Black Manjushri was with him. He felt it made a huge difference for him, overcoming fear. It gave him the strength to fight, and gave him the energy. Then, later, his doctors told him ‘your cancer is completely cleared.'” Later, the student — who had in a rush asked Rinpoche for the mantra lung — came back for full initiation in Black Manjushri. [1]

Black Manjushri: a prescription for life-threatening illness

For dangerous diseases, life-threatening illnesses, maladies or obstacles, Black Manjushri is one of the most powerful practices. Manjushri, normally a peaceful Buddha of Wisdom, takes on the fiercer aspect of Black Manjushri — a signal to our minds that we are taking aggressive action against the invader. It is well established that mind certainly has powerful healing influences over the body it inhabits. Black Manjushri meditation assertively focuses our minds on the organisms or obstacles that attack our bodies.

For instance, you might think of the Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, as the family doctor. The analogy of “doctor” is often used in Mahayana practice when referring to the three jewels: Buddha (doctor), Dharma (medicine), and Sangha (nurses and support). Some of us meditate on the beautiful Medicine Buddha as our meditation object analogous with the “family doctor.” Others might think of White Tara, and engage in “long life” meditations.

If Shakyamuni or Medicine Buddha or White Tara are your family doctor, Black Manjushri would be your skilled specialist, the metaphorical cardiac, cancer or Aids specialist. His practice helps the meditator agressively focus the healing power of the mind on these dangerous conditions.

For serious ailments, requiring “assertive” forms of meditation, Black Manjushri is the meditation frequently recommended by many Buddhist teachers. Since it typically requires training from a teaching and initiation, it might be best to meditate on healing with Medicine Buddha of your Yidam, while seeking out instruction of a qualified teacher.

Healing for others

Zasep Rinpoche, when asked by a student about healing for others using Black Manjushri or Medicine Buddha (after initiation), he answered: “Yes, you can do the healing for others. You can do the mantras for them. You can do them together. You can coach and guide. Or, if the person is not able to do mantras or visualization, but is seeking help, then you do it for the person. You visualize yourself as Black Manjushri or Medicine Buddha, do the mantras, and visualize divine light coming from your heart and going into the person, descending into his or her body, giving lots of energy and purifying the sickness.”

When the student asked, “Does the person have to be with you in the room to receive healing?” Rinpoche answered:

“No, you don’t have to be in the same room. You can heal from a distance. It is good, and beneficial, if you can do it face to face, but if needed you can do healing from a distance.”

 NOTES 

[1] From a two day retreat on April 2-3, 2016 on Ngondro Foundation practices, with teacher Zasep Tulku Rinpoche at Gaden Choling Toronto.

[2] “Practices to Counteract the SARS Virus“, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, FPMT 

[3] Event with Sakya Trizin 

The post The Disease Specialist: Black Manjushri Practice Has a Reputation for Successfully Helping Victims of the Most Dangerous Diseases, Including Cancer, Heart Disease and Aids appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Please enjoy a “trailer” presenting our long anticipated video series “What the Teachers Say” from Buddha Weekly. The “What the Buddhist Teachers Say” written features are among our most popular. In the video series, we plan to supplement our longer written features with ten to fifteen minute “short teachings” from various teachers of different lineages. In our videos we hope you’ll “Discover important areas of Buddhist Living and Practice” with “A special focus on teachers and meditation practices.”

Series One: La Gug Life Force Retrieval, with Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche.

In part one, Zasep Tulku Rinpoche introduces us to the Tibetan Buddhist practice of La Gug, which literally translates as “Vitality Retrieval.” The teachings were recorded at a recent Owen Sound weekend Medicine Buddha and La Gug retreat, hosted by Theodore Tsaousidis and Medicine Buddha Toronto.

For centuries, Tibetan Buddhism has perfected meditations which help you restore your vitality — also known as life force, Chi, or Prana. Even modern medicine recognizes the healing power of meditation. Restoring vitality is one of the keys to good health and long life. Before teaching how to restore La, Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche highlights the symptoms that may indicate your Lifeforce is weakened. In Part 2, the second video, he explains “How to Conserve Your La or Vitality.”

Since we attended several of RInpoche’s recent teachings in his Ontario tour, the first few videos will feature this eminent teacher. In future weeks we hope to feature teachings from many teachers and traditions.

The post Teaching Video Series: Featuring Talks from Noted Buddhist Teachers —— from Buddha Weekly appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

In part 2 of a teaching series on Buddhist Foundation Practices, Venerable Acharya Zasep Rinpoche introduces the fourth outer preliminary, the truth of suffering, in the context of boundless compassion for all sentient beings. Rinpoche transitions the teachings from the outer (covered in video 1>>)  to the inner preliminaries with a teaching on Refuge and a guided meditation Shakyamuni Buddha. Rinpoche, spiritual head of several meditation centres in the United States, Canada, and Australia, gave these teachings at Gaden Choling in Toronto.

Rinpoche, himself a refugee from Tibet, compassionately demonstrates how to meditate especially on the truth of suffering: “I know myself what it’s like to be a refugee… homeless, running for your life..”

Some of the topics Rinpoche covers are:

• Mindfulness: “The past is gone. The future isn’t here yet.” Keeping in the now.
• Rejoicing: “It’s important to appreciate life, our friends, our partner, our children…”
• Karma: “Karma is not fate.” Teachings on purifying negative karma.
• The Fourth Outer Preliminary: “Meditation on the Suffering of all Sentient Beings”
• Compassion: “Compassion is the essence of Buddha’s Teaching.”
• Joy: “Joy comes automatically” when you are kind to others. You can say to yourself, “Today, I made a difference in someone’s life.”
• The First Inner Preliminary: Refuge in the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha
• Meditation on Buddha: a Guided Refuge Meditation Visualizing Shakyamuni Buddha.

FROM A WEEKEND RETREAT ON NGONDRO KEY BUDDHIST PRACTICES FOR BUSY PEOPLE  — TEACHING FROM VENERABLE ACHARYA ZASEP TULKU RINPOCHE AT GADEN CHOLING TORONTO.

Part One in this series:

Video: Buddhist Teachings on Ngondro, The Foundation Practices with Venerable Zasep Rinpoche

Coming Soon — Part Three

Teachings on the Inner Preliminary practices of refuge, cultivating bodhichitta, recitations of Vajrasattva’s purifying mantra, mandala offerings and guru yoga.

About Archarya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

Rinpoche is popularly known for his approachable teaching style, strong humor and teachings based on a long lineage of great lamas. His own gurus included the most celebrated of Gelug teachers: His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Thupten Wanggyel, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Venerable Lati Rinpoche, Venerable Tara Tulku Rinpoche and Venerable Khalkha Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche.

Rinpoche is spiritual director of many temples, meditation centers and retreat centers in Australia, the United States and Canada. He was first invited to teach in Australia by Lama Thubten Yeshe in 1976.

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche discusses decades of teaching, advice for beginner students and funny stories of his teachers.

The post Video: Part 2 of Buddhist Teachings on Ngondro, the Foundation Practices with Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche: Teachings on the Truth of Suffering, the Importance of Taking Refuge, and a Guided Meditation Visualizing Shakyamuni Buddha appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

“In my opinion, having the opportunity to practice the guru yoga of the great holy being Lama Tsongkhapa, is more fortunate than having the chance to receive and practice other Dharma teachings,” wrote Lama Zopa Rinpoche, in the book Guru Yoga.

“After I pass away and my pure doctrine is absent,
You will appear as an ordinary being,
Performing the deeds of a Buddha
And establishing the Joyful Land, the great Protector,
In the Land of the Snows.”

-Buddha Shakyamuni in the Root Tantra of Manjushri

Many famous gurus, lamas and teachers — including the Dalai Lama, (two videos from His Holiness below), Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, and most Tibetan Gelugpa teachers — teach this very powerful, yet accessible practice. The practice does not require initiation or empowerment—although the guidance of a teacher and initiation are beneficial.

CONTENTS

• Introduction
• The Buddha of Our Times
• Tsongkhapa Practice: Short, Complete, Powerful
• Tsongkhapa’s Mantra and Migstema
• A Simple Practice Containing All 84,000 Teachings of Lord Buddha
• Actual Guru Yoga Practice of Lama Je Tsong Khapa (short version)
• In Praise of the Incomparable Tsongkhapa: Prayer from Gyalwa Mikyo Dorje, the Eighth Karmapa

Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised, “If one keeps even a drop of the nectar of the name of this holy being Lama Tsongkhapa in a devotional heart, it plants the seed of liberation and one receives the fortune to practice and enjoy happiness from this life up to enlightenment.”

The Buddha of Our Times

Lama Tsongkhapa is a “Buddha of our times” in the Gelug Vajrayana tradition. As an enlightened being, Buddha Tsongkhapa has the same realizations as all of the Conquerors (Buddhas). His practice is very powerful, in part, because he was an emanation of Avalokitesvara (compassion), Manjushri (wisdom), and Vajrapani (power). Famously, Lama Tsongkhapa wrote the three volume Lam Rim Chenmo text: The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (see below), books on Lamrim that numerous serious practitioners read, reread and refer to throughout their lives.

He is visualized as a wise and kind guru, smiling and beautiful, with a tall yellow pandit’s hat, seated on a lotus throne, with all the marks and signs of a Buddha. His kind, smiling visage makes him approachable to many new to His practice, while his authority as a great Sage makes him reliable and beneficial.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama teachings on Lama Tsongkhapa, Commentary on Lam Rim Chenmo:

Tsongkhapa, the Second Great Sage

Tsongkhapa (Je Tsong-kha-pa Blo-bzang grags-pa) (1357-1419) is considered, by millions, to be a great sage. Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, is the great Sage of our times, the Enlightened Buddha. Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), another enlightened sage, foretold Tsongkhapa’s coming.

Tsongkhapa famously wrote numerous authoritative texts, and notably the Lamrin Chenmo. His teachings rejuvenated Buddhism at a time when it fell into degenerate beliefs, and fused Sutra practices with Tantra. Tsongkhapa’s teachings instilled such belief and practice in Tibetan Buddhists that it had a profound impact on the history of Asia. Practices Tsongkhapa taught found their way into China, Japan, Korea, India and ultimately around the world.

“Both Buddha Shakyamuni and Guru Rinpoche prophesied Tsongkhapa’s birth and attainments,” wrote Alexander Berzin, August 2003, partly based on a discourse by Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, Dharamsala, India. “Buddha prophesied Manjushri would be born as a boy in Tibet, would found Ganden monastery, and would present a crown to [Buddha’s] statue… Guru Rinpoche also prophesied a monk named Lozang-dragpa would be born near China, would be regarded as an emanation of a great bodhisattva…”

In the Manjushri Root Text Buddha says, “After I have passed away, you will in the form of a child perform the actions of buddha.”

Tsongkhapa Practice: Short, Complete and Powerful

Daily Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga makes it easier for us to develop compassion, and let go of anger. It is a short practice, ideal for busy people with little time to meditate.

Many Gelugpa teachers advocate Lamrim and foundation practices, including Lama Tsongkhapa and Vajrasattva practice. For example, the students of teacher Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, are taught in the “Guidelines for Students” to study sutra, tantra, Mamhamudra, Lam Rim Chen Mo, and deity yoga: “This is the order… Lama Tsongkhapa including Manjushri, Chenrezig, Vajrapani” followed by other Kirya Tantra deity practices.

Tsongkhapa Mantra and Migstema

The mantra of Lama Tsongkhapa, which can be spoken by anyone, is:

    OM AH GURU VAJRADHARA SUMATI KIRTI SIDDHI HUM

The Migstema Tsongkhapa mantra chanted by Chanted by Lama Ngawang Thogmey. Recorded in san Antonio, Texas.

The Migstema mantra can also be spoken and visualized by anyone for great benefits:

MIG MEY TZE WAY TER CHEN CHENREZIG

DRI MEY KHYEN PI WANG PO JAMPAL YANG

DU PUNG MA LU JOM DZEY SANG WEY DAG

GANG CHENG KE PEY TSUG GYEN TSONGKHAPA

LO SANG TRAG PEY SHAB LA SOL WA DEB

This can also be spoken in English, although it tends to be easier to memorize, chant and empower in the Tibetan. The English reads as:

    Objectless compassion, Cherezig

Lord of stainless wisdom, Manjushri,

Conquering mara’s hordes, Vajrapani,

Crown jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows, Tsongkhapa,

Losang Drakpa, at your feet, I pray.

Some teachers say that the Migstema mantra is so very powerful because it combines the great mantras of Avalokitesvara (Chenrezig), Manjushri and Vajrapani:

Objectless compassion, Cherezig   OM MANI PADME HUM

Lord of stainless wisdom, Manjushri   OM AH RA BA TSA NA DHI

Conquering mara’s hordes, Vajrapani  OM VAJRAPANI HUM

Crown jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows, Tsongkhapa,

Losang Drakpa, at your feet, I pray.

A Simple Practice Containing All 84,000 Teachings of Lord Buddha

The short Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa, on one level, contains all the 84,000 teachings of Lord Buddha. As the practice is short, it is easy to memorize, and quick to practice — ten minutes from beginning to end if you don’t pause to meditate or to chant extra mantras.

In the very precious Tibetan Buddhist tradition, practices always incorporate all three of the body, speech and mind. For example:

• For body, we might fold our hands in prayer, bow, or make a symbolic mudra (hand gesture) for offerings.
• For speech, we say the words of praise, the vows of Bodhichitta, and the mantras which help focus our minds
• For mind, especially in Tibetan tradition, we visualize or imagine the Buddha in our minds, and also try to keep that visualization and the practice in context with the concept of wisdom — in this case, our own understanding of emptiness, dependent arising and so on.

As always, with any traditional Mahayana practice, there are common elements with all practices, including:;

• Refuge: we always take refuge in the three jewels: Buddha Dharma, and Sangha
• Bodhichitta vow: the most precious promise to benefit all sentient beings
• The Four Immeasurable Attitudes: aspirations for the benefit of al all beings
• Visualization: imagining or picturing the “merit field” which means picturing the Enlightened Buddha (in this case Lama Tsongkhapa) and his disciples or attendants.
• Seven Limbed Prayer: prostrations, offerings, declarations, rejoicing, requesting teachings, requesting Lama Tsongkahapa remain with us always, and a dedication.
• Offering: in this case a short mandala offering
• Mantra: spoken and visualized: often visualizing healing light from Lama Tsonkhapa going out to all sentient beings and easing their suffering.
• Final Dedication: all Tibetan practices always dedicated the merit of the virtue of the practice to the cause for Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Guru Yoga Practice of Lama Je Tsongkhapa

This version, excerpted from Gaden Choling/ Gaden for the West practice assembled under the guidance of His Eminence Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. [1]

Refuge and Bodhichitta

Say three times:

I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha,
Until I attain enlightenment.
By the merit accumulated from practicing generosity and the other perfections,
May I attain Enlightenment in order to benefit all sentient beings.

Cultivating Four Immeasurable Attitudes

Say three times:

May all beings have happiness and its causes,
May all beings be freed from suffering and its causes;
May all beings constantly dwell in joy transcending sorrow;
May all beings dwell in equal love for those both close and distant.

Visualization and Practice

Speak aloud and visualize:

From the heart of the Protector of the hundreds of deities of the the Joyful Land,
To the peak of a cloud which is like a cluster of fresh, white curd,
All-knowing Losang Dragpa, King of the Dharma,
Please come to this place together with your two chief disciples.

In the space before me on a lion throne, lotus, and moon,
The Venerable Gurus smile with delight.
Supreme Field of Merit for my mind of faith,
Please remain for a hundred aeons to spread the teaching.

Seven-Limbed Prayer

Now that you’ve invited and visualized, perform the seven-limbed prayer with all your heart:

Prostrations
Your minds of wisdom realize the full extent of objects of knowledge,
Your eloquent speech is the ear-ornament of the fortunate,
Your beautiful bodies are ablaze with the glory of renown.
I prostrate to you, whom to see, to hear, and to remember is so meaningful.

Offerings
Pleasing water offerings, various flowers,
Sweet-smelling incense, lights, scented water and so forth,
A vast cloud of offerings both set out and imagined,
I offer to you, Supreme Field of Merit.

Declarations
Whatever non-virtues of body, speech and mind
I have accumulated since time without beginning,
Especially transgressions of my three levels of vows,
With great remorse I declare each one from the depths of my heart.

Rejoicing
In this degenerate age you strove for much learning and accomplishment.
Abandoning the eight worldly concerns, you made your leisure and endowment meaningful.
Protector, from the very depths of my heart,
I rejoice in the great wave of your deeds.

Request for Dharma Teachings
From the billowing clouds of wisdom and compassion
In the space of your Enlightened minds, venerable and holy Gurus,
Please send down a rain of vast and profound Dharma
Appropriate to the disciples of this world.

Request to Remain
May your Vajra Body, created from the purity of clear light,
Free of the rising and setting of cyclic existence,
But visible to the ordinary viewer only in its unsubtle, physical form,
Stay on unchanging, without waning, until samsara ends.

Dedication
Through the virtues I have accumulated here,
May the teachings and all living beings receive every benefit. Especially may the essence of the teaching
Of Lama Je Tsong Khapa shine forever.

Short Mandala Offering

Mandala offerings from the heart are important. Visualize offering these offering objects as you say:

This mandala is built on a base resplendent with flowers, saffron water and incense,

Adorned with Mount Meru, the four lands, the sun and full moon.
By offering this pure mandala to you assembly of Buddhas here before me,
May all living beings experience pure happiness and be reborn in pure lands.
The objects of desire, aversion and ignorance,
Friend, enemy, and stranger, my body and all possessions,
These I offer without clinging for your enjoyment, Please bless me and all living beings to be released
From the three poisonous minds

OM IDAM GURU RATNA MANDALA KAMNIR YATAYAMI

I send forth this jewelled mandala to you, precious gurus.

Mantra and Migstema

Visualize as instructed by your teacher, or for a basic visualization you can visualize healing light going out to all sentient beings (including yourself) from the heart of Lama Tsongkhapa:

MIG.ME TZE.WAI TER.CHEN CHEN.RE.ZIG
DRI.ME KYEN.PAI WANG.PO JAM.PEL.YANG
DÜ.PUNG MA.LÜ JOM.DZE SANG.WAI DAG
GANG.CHEN KAY.PAI TZUG.GYAN TSONG.KHAPA
LO.ZANG DRAG.PAI ZHAB.LA SOL.WA DEB

You are Avalokitesvara, great treasure of unimaginable compassion,
And Manjushri, master of flawless wisdom,
And Vajrapani, Lord of the Secret and destroyer of hordes of maras without exception.
Tsong Khapa, crown jewel of the sages of the land of snows,
Lozang Dragpa, I make requests at your lotus feet.

MANTRA 7, 21, 108 or as many recitations as you can

OM AH GURU VAJRADHARA SUMATI KIRTI SIDDHI HUM

Requests

Glorious, precious root Guru,
Please come to the lotus and moon seat at my crown,
And in your great kindness, please remain with me.
Please bestow upon me the blessings of your body, speech and mind.
Glorious, precious root Guru,
Please descend to the lotus and moon seat in my heart,
And in your great kindness, please remain with me.
Please grant me the common and supreme realizations.
Glorious, precious root Guru,
Please remain on the lotus and moon seat in my heart,
And in your great kindness, please remain with me.
Please remain until I achieve the essence of Enlightenment.

Dedication

By this virtue may I quickly
Attain the state of a Guru-Buddha (Enlightenment),
And then may I lead every being,
without exception, into that state.
May the most precious and supreme bodhicitta awakening mind
Which has not yet been generated now be generated.
And may the precious mind of bodhicitta which has been generated
Never decline, but always increase.

Tsongkhapa the Scholar: The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment

Tsongkhapa’s writings, particularly his The Great Treatise On The Stages Of The Path To Enlightenment, helped re-invigorate the practices of Vajrayana Buddhism, and has been read and studied by countless students. Now, translated into English, in three volumes, The Great Treatise On The Stages Of The Path To Enlightenment is accessible to English-speaking peoples for the first time.

Dalai Lama introduces extensive teachings in Tsongkhapa and Lamrim:

“Of the many works of the Tibetan master Tsongkhapa, none compare in terms of popularity and breadth of influence with his Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Lamrim Chenmo), which has been treasured by practitioners and scholars alike for centuries,” wrote His Holiness the IVth Dalai Lama.

“What distinguishes it as one of the principal texts of Mahayana Buddhism is its scope and clarity. It expounds the entire path from the way one should rely on a spiritual teacher, which is the very root, right up to the attainment of Buddhahood, which is the final fruit. The various stages of the path are presented so clearly and systematically that they can be easily understood and are inspiring to put into practice.”

In Praise Of The Incomparable Tsongkhapa

By Gyalwa Mikyo Dorje, the Eighth Karmapa (1507 – 1554)

Once when Gyalwa Mikyo Dorje was travelling through the Charida Pass, thoughts of the incomparable Tsongkhapa welled up within him. Overcome by profound faith, he was moved to compose the above poem.

At a time when nearly all in this Northern Land
Were living in utter contradiction to Dharma,
Without illusion, O Tsongkhapa, you polished the teachings.
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

When the teachings of the Sakya, Kargu, Kadam
And Nyingma sects in Tibet were declining,
You, O Tsongkhapa, revived Buddha’s Doctrine,
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, gave to you
Special instructions on the thought of Nagarjuna.
O Tsongkhapa, upholder of the Middle Way,
I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

“Mind and form are not empty of their own natures
But are empty of truly existent mind and form”,
You, O Tsongkhapa, are Tibet’s chief exponent of voidness,
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

In merely a few years you filled
The land from China to India
With peerless holders of the saffron robes.
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

Those who become your followers
And look to you and your teachings
Are never again disappointed or forsaken.
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

The trainees who walk in your footsteps
Breath the fresh air of the Great Way.
They would die for the good of the world.
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

Anyone who disparages your doctrine must face
The terrible wrath of the Dharma protectors.
O Tsongkhapa, who abides in truth’s power,
I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

In person and in dreams you come to those
Who but once recollect your image.
O Tsongkhapa, who watches with compassionate eyes.
I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

In order to civilize men and spirits you spread
Your teachings through Kham, Mongolia and Turkestan:
O Tsongkhapa, subduer of savages,
I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

For men coarse and far from the Way, you dispel
Mental clouds, evils and bad karma.
O Tsongkhapa, who bestows quick progress,
I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

Those who take heartfelt Refuge in you,
Even those with no hope for now or hereafter,
O Tsongkhapa, have their every wish fulfilled.
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

Having exposed false teachings transgressing
The excellent ways well shown by Buddha,
You firmly established your Bold Doctrine.
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

Manifesting sublime austerity and discipline,
The form and fragrance of your life was incomparable.
O Tsongkhapa, controlled one pleasing to the Buddhas,
I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

By the strength of the sons of your lineage
And by my having faithfully offered this praise,
May the enlightened activity of Buddha Shakyamuni
Pervade the earth for ages to come.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Dedication:
From the merits collected by doing this work, transmitting Lama Tsongkhapa’s pure teaching — the heart of the 84,000 teachings of Buddha — into a western language, in a way as close as possible to the words and the meaning of the root text;

May this be most beneficial for all sentient beings, bringing kind mother sentient beings — whose lives are lost, under the control of karma and delusion, totally enveloped in the darkness of ignorance — to the achievement of enlightenment as quickly as possible.

May anyone who merely sees this text, reads this text, teaches this text, hears about this text, or keeps this text thereby actualize indestructible guru devotion, seeing the Guru as Buddha, and train well in the three common principles of the path, actualize the two stages, and achieve the unified state of Vajradhara as soon as possible. May he or she especially generate loving kindness, the compassionate thought, and bodhicitta and immediately become a source of peace and happiness for all sentient beings, especially in this world, and may all war, famine, disease, sickness, epidemics, torture, poverty, and the dangers of fire, water, wind, and earthquakes immediately cease so that no one will experience any of these undesirable circumstances ever again.

May the pure teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa flourish continuously and spread in all directions.

The post Lama Tsongkhapa: A Short, Powerful Practice Helps Bring Compassion, Wisdom, Good Fortune, and Healing appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

An alternate title for Zasep Tulku Rinpoche’s fascinating and breathless photo-illustrated autobiography might be “From Land of Snows to Land of Snows.” Born in Tibet and raised as a Tulku and future Rinpoche by the great Buddhist teachers of the high plateau, Zasep Rinpoche’s account vividly brings to life a terrible invasion, then desperate flight as a refugee, and a spiritual quest through seven countries that ended in his new homeland, another land of snows — Canada. (For a Summary Review in 2 paragraphs, please scroll to the end of this review.)

Despite a journey through a tragic time in Tibet’s history, Zasep Rinpoche’s autobiography conveys an overwhelming sense of optimism. Yes, Rinpoche helps us relive a catastrophic time in Tibet’s history, and yes we feel a sense of loss and anger at the injustice of the invasion — and the tragic personal loss of family — but the tone is elegantly uplifting.

Not only Rinpoche, but Tibetans in general, are portrayed as a people who do not lose hope in the face of disaster, who can find the profound and the sacred in the most devastating of situations, who come together as spiritual family in the face of terror.

Note: This is an advance publication review. Details on where to buy will be released after publication. Meet Zasep Rinpoche for the book launch November 12, 2106 at Wychwood Library, 1431 Bathurst St, Toronto, 2pm-4pm.

“I had a lot of suffering. I had to flee my homeland”

Rinpoche’s emphasizes this, in his introduction: “To become who I am today, I began with many advantages. I was born into a loving, well-to-do family in an incredibly beautiful homeland rich in tradition, and I was given a rigorous spiritual education from highly realized Buddhist masters. Later on in my youth, I had a lot of suffering. I had to flee my homeland, I had to endure great hardship and loss as a refugee, and I had to adapt to a strange new world with values and customs so very different from the ones I had learned as a child. My experiences as a refugee faced with building a new life made me who I am today.”

Told in the first person, Zasep Rinpoche combines a refreshing frankness — and a dauntless sense of humor — with a surprising intimacy:

“I carry those genes. In Tibet, we call ourselves Bumiputra, the sons of the land. Remembering the enchanted land of Tibet, the magical mountains and the pure, thin air of the Tibetan plateau is like remembering a large part of my younger self.”

Interesting insights pepper nearly every page of the book — helped along by Zasep Rinpoche’s prodigious memory for detail. (He remembers every name of every person in his life, every initiation and teacher, and conveys an astounding grasp of detail.) In chapter one, when describing Tibet’s love of mountains, he writes: “Some Westerners think Tibetans are backward for believing in mountain spirits. But if you accept the idea that all life is interdependent and interconnected, then it follows that if we do harm to the environment, we are in fact harming ourselves; when we threaten the well-being of the natural world, we are threatening ourselves.”

Tibetan crisis tragic, but helped spread the Dharma

As Zasep Rinpoche’s autobiography makes clear, the Tibetan crisis brought immense suffering to millions in Tibet. This dire chapter in Tibet’s history, was actually prophesied by the great Indian Guru Padmasambhava, known as the Second Buddha, who, more than a thousand years ago, predicted:

“When the iron bird flies and the horses run on wheels, the Tibetan people will be scattered like ants across the world, and the Dharma will come to the land of the red men.” (Red men is a reference to America.)

With this context, it is fascinating to read the intimate and breathless account of a noted refugee Lama bringing teachings to the West. Why breathless? Although it’s not meant to be high pace adventure, Zasep Rinpoche’s biography reads like a spiritual and physical adventure both. We follow a Tibetan Rinpoche forced to flee his invaded country, facing bombers and bandits, on a desperate journey to refugee status in Nepal, then on to India, Thailand, Australia, United States, and finally, citizenship in Canada. We first meet a boy, deeply devoted to his grandfather and grandmother and family; we relive his six-decade adventure from boy Tulku refugee, to a revered Guru and spiritual head of Vajrayana Buddhist centres in Australia, Canada and the United States.

Spiritual adventure — learning from Tibet’s greatest teachers

As a spiritual adventure, Rinpoche’s autobiography gives us a rare and intimate chance to learn, not just from Zasep Rinpoche, but from his many teachers — some of the most illustrious masters of the last century, who, besides the Dalai Lama and his Root Guru Trijang Rinpoche, included: Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Tara Tulku Rinpoche, Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Lati Rinpoche, and Guru Deva Rinpoche.

Wonderfully, Zasep Rinpoche includes biographies of most of these great teachers. Illustrated with thirty original black and white photos, most never before published, this autobiography gives readers an intimate look into the life of one of the remaining Tibetan-born and trained masters.

From a lost world: a spiritual adventure

Zasep Rinpoche organized his long and event-filled life into topics, rather than by strict timeline. Although there’s a strong sense of the journey through time, and a strong evocation of a lost world, Rinpoche’s decision to organize his autobiography by topic is, I think, and important one. A straight linear story would de-emphasize important cultural and spiritual elements that most readers are likely to find compelling. The chapters certainly follow the timeline of Rinpoche’s fascinating history, but when we visit chapters such as “My Other Gurus” and “Young Lama’s School” we are in flashback mode as Rinpoche takes us back again to earlier days. This helps emphasize his life story by topics that are likely of interest to Buddhists and his students.

Photos: 30 photos, most never before published, help illustrate the story. With photos from 1941 to the present day, Rinpoche reveals rare pictures such as the Young Lama’s School, rare pictures of his teachers, his vow-taking as a Theravadan monk in Thailand, and some wonderful photos of Tibet and his family. We have not reproduced them here, to protect copyright on the internet.

In short snips — my own descriptions, and where appropriate a quote from the author — I’ll quickly synopsize the flow of chapters. It is impossible to capture the essence in short descriptions; only a read of the book can bring the adventure alive.

1 Son of the mountains

Rinpoche helps us understand what it’s like to be son of the mountains, the bond with the land and nature and a culture so inextricably bound to Buddhism:

“When I think of the Tibet I knew in the first ten years of this lifetime, before the Chinese Communist invasion of 1959 devastated the land and its people, I remember its breath-taking beauty — snow-capped mountains encircling the vast interior plain, turquoise lakes, clear, cold rivers, deep green forests, buff and grey deserts, and flora and fauna in abundance. But most of all I remember the mountains…”

2 Life in Kham

One of my favorite chapters, where Rinpoche literally brings alive every aspect of Tibetan life, from family life, to the importance of tea, to the hardships of daily living and how it was reflected in Buddhist spirituality.

One of the choice nuggets from this chapter (but far from the only one):

“For some Westerners the idea of Tibetan Buddhists owning and sometimes employing weapons runs counter to their romantic notion that Tibet was a peaceable kingdom, a veritable Shangri-La. While it is true that Tibetan society was imbued with Buddhist values, not all Tibetans were pure practitioners. As with every society, a few were bad apples. It is good Dharma practice to protect yourself and your family from those who would do you harm.”

3 My family

Rinpoche’s devotion to his family, especially to his maternal grandfather, grandmother and sister Didi (Dekyi Yangzom), really come alive. For several chapters of the book, his grandfather Ponpo Nawang Losang, in particular, is almost the main protagonist, an assertive, well-loved man, friend of Lamas, and at the same time a swash-buckling sword-carrying patriarch who will do anything for his family.

Rinpoche describes, for example, an incident where the Hui governor (Chinese) tried to arrest his grandfather:

“When the governor’s lackeys moved to grab my grandfather, my grandfather hit out with his fists and knocked down several of them. The lackeys dragged my grandfather to the courtyard, stripped off his clothing, and began to torture him… hitting my grandfather with the banze, striking him again and again until he was covered in blood… But he was proud and he was tough. He didn’t scream.”

To me, one of the most gripping adventures of the book is the refugee flight out of Tibet with his grandmother. Rinpoche evoked the trauma elegantly when he described his grandmother’s fear of airplanes: “My grandmother had been really traumatized by the Chinese Communist invasion of Tibet; she was especially distressed by the Chinese Communist bombers that tracked us even after we had crossed the border to Nepal. Later on, when we were living in Nepal, whenever she saw Nepalese planes flying overhead, she thought they were Chinese Communist planes, and would run about, frantically looking for a place to hide.”

4 Our Buddhist way of life

Although the entire book is a life-lesson in Buddhism, in chapter 4 Rinpoche emphasizes how Buddhism was intricately bound into daily life in old Tibet.

“For most Tibetans, Dharma practice was a matter of course. In my family, we did prayers every evening, without fail. Most Tibetans wore malas… Green Tara was tremendously popular, as was Chenrezig. Images of Green Tara were everywhere, and many families, my own included, recited the twenty-one praises to Tara every day. The same was true of Chenrezig; every Tibetan knew and recited his mantra. It was said that Tibetan children do not have to be taught OM MANI PADME HUM because they heard it constantly.”

Rinpoche especially emphasized the personal religious freedom of Tibetans: “People were free to go to different schools and teachers of different lineages if they wanted. There was no sectarianism and no religious oppression…. ultimately there is no difference between traditions. Whatever the sect, the Buddhas are one and the same…”

This chapter is rich with detailed practices, such as “butter lamp offerings” and Sang purification, the importance of mani stones, prayer flags, horses, Powa practice for the dying, and community pujas.

5 My boyhood

Here we meet a sometimes naughty and precocious young Tulku, with a deep abiding love of horses. As a young child he even had to guard the sheep from wolves:

“Occasionally, in spite of our best efforts as wolf-watchers, a wolf would be successful and carry off a lamb, the lamb beating in terror. When this happened I would get very upset.”

6 The Tulku tradition

The Tulku tradition of Tibet is widely misunderstood, and Rinpoche describes both its importance, and some of the issues: “Most Tulkus are authentic; a few may not be…” He not only helps Westerners understand Tulkus, he describes the important history of his own past incarnations.

Rinpoche, as always, is frank:

“Many Westerners disagree with the idea of plucking a little Tulku from his parents and sending him to a monastery to be raised and educated by monks. Speaking from my own experience, the practice is hard both on the little boy and his family… but in those days, when there was no public education system in Tibet, placing a young boy in a monastery meant he got a good education…”

7 My incarnations

This stand-alone chapter describes Rinpoche’s twelve previous incarnations. I describe it as “stand-alone” because they contain flashback-style miniature biographies — in common with the later chapter “My early teachers” — which in their own right are fascinating and enjoyable.

8 Monastic Life in Tibet

Again, Rinpoche reveals his willingness to be frank about issues, while also highlighting the strengths of the overall system. In some ways, I found the chapter on monastic life the most fascinating. While highlighting the sometimes harsh conditions, he always retains his uplifting tone:

“Yet, lacking in modern conveniences though Sera was, life in a monastery there could be good.” He also emphasizes how “Many of the greatest Gelug masters came from such distant places.” I especially enjoyed the episodes on “debating.”

9 My early teachers

Like chapter 7 and the later chapter 17, this chapter contains fascinating mini biographies of Rinpoche’s many teachers.

10 My enthronement at Zuru Monastery

This chapter is fascinating especially for it’s lavish description of a full enthronement ceremony, which really brings to life the pomp and ceremony.

11 My visit to Tashi Lhapug

In this chapter, the wide-eyed young Tulku receives his “first big initiation” that “marked my entrance to the Vajrayana path.”

Rinpoche visited Tashi Lhapug many times, drawn by the beauty and sanctity of the monastery:

“Tashi Lhapug is one of the most beautiful monasteries ever. The location alone was amazing — the surrounding mountains, the landscape with its springs and waterfalls, and the wide Mekong River…”

12 My journey to Lhasa

Two years before the Chinese Communist invasion, when Rinpoche was nine, he began his intensive studies, directed by his great root guru, Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. Accompanied by his adventurer-grandfather, Zasep Rinpoche and ten others travel 700 kilometers to Lhasa by horse and mule via worn but untended paths. The journey was hazardous and arduous, with camps to be set and guarded each night; the trip was a slow one as “the yaks simply refused to be hurried…”

On they way, the stop off a Nalanda Monastery, where Rinpoche receives initiations from his Guru Zimcock Dorje Chang, a lineage holder in the Sakya tradition, holder of the Thirteen Golden Dharmas, and a Guru of the famous Kyabje Je Pabongka, Ling Rinpoche, and Trijang Rinpoche.

Fascinatingly, we hear of a prophetic dream by Lama Gelong Chojor Gyamtso: “he foresaw that our family would end up exiles in Nepal and India.”

13 Meeting my perfect Guru

The chapter I most looked forward to was “Meeting with my perfect Guru” where Zasep Rinpoche meets the great Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, one of the best known Gelug Lamas, and a junior tutor of the Dalai Lama. His description of the first meeting is enthusiastic and profound:

“We were escorted to Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche’s suite. The instant I saw him, my heart overflowed with joy; I knew with absolute certainty that this beautiful personage was my Root Guru… I was simply overwhelmed by his powerful enlightening energy, which totally lit up the space. He had such a beautiful smile and his voice was so clear, so warm, so melodious.”

Rinpoche then honors his root guru by re-telling his Guru’s story, introducing it with “His story exemplifies all that is precious about the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism into which I was born.” The tale of Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche is the longest of the stand-alone mini-biographies and is quite inspirational and instructional.

14 I become a Tulku at Sera Monastery

Life in the monastery isn’t always as idyllic as people might assume, especially in a giant institutes of thousands of monks such as Sera. “Westerners sometimes have the idea that monastic life is quiet and contemplative, but in fact it is busy.” This chapter is meaningful and fascinating, defined by its detailed descriptions of monastic life, and the amusing tale of Rinpoche’s first formal debate where he made the senior Lamas laugh.

15 My pilgrimage to Mount Kailash

Nothing is as distinctly Tibetan as the circumambulations of mountains and the pilgrimage. This chapter describes a six month pilgrimage to the holy mountain of Mount Kailash, which begins with a sometimes amusing argument between Rinpoche’s teacher and the Abbott of Sera, who doesn’t agree with the request to pause his studies. This fascinating, two-month long journey (each way), is an adventure of its own, as they visit all the monasteries and teachers along the way, and actually have to confront bandits.

16 The invasion of Lhasa

The threat o bandits pale next the terrifying invasion of Lhasa in 1959. Separated from his swash-buckling grandfather, the young Zasep Rinpoche must cope with the sudden invasion.

“March 10, 1959 was the day Lhasa exploded. Rumours had been circulating that the Chinese Communists were planning to capture the Dalai Lama and transport him to China…”

Rinpoche brings alive the terror. “I was awakened by the rat-tat-tat sound of artillery, the sound of shelling, and the dull roar of shouting…”

This chapter is a must-read, an eye-witness account of the invasion of Tibet, that included “opening fire on the citizenry of Lhasa.” Rinpoche, with his close teacher Gen Jhampa Chogdup, slip out of Sera Jey late on March 11 with no food and “only the clothing on our backs.” Their harrowing escape from Tibet, the slaughter of Tibetans, Lamas, friends and family, are all told in vivid and terrifying detail.

The vivid recall of these events — including attacks by the Chinese Communist army — is both terrifying and inspiring, because the group never entirely loses hope, and continues to pray for — and receive — protection. At one point they capture a Chinese soldier, but refuse to kill him:”So we kept the man prisoner and took him with us” on a days long trek over the mountains.

17 My other Gurus

I read this chapter again and again. A list of Zasep Rinpoche’s Gurus reads like a “who’s who” of famous Lamas and teachers in the Gelug tradition. Like the previous chapter on his incarnations, this chapter is structured as flashback mini-biographies of each teacher, right back to their childhoods. It’s brilliant and fascinating, and can stand alone as an amazing read for any student who has an interest in these great masters.

Developing into the Teaching Guru

The remaining fourteen chapters are no less inspiring, if slightly less adventuresome. There are no more guns and swords in the story, yet in many ways, the most exciting section of the book — from a spiritual Buddhist point of view — are these chapters. Particularly fascinating are the “Young Lama’s Home School”, the story of his precious Guru Deva Rinpoche, and the fascinating eighteen-months he spent in Thailand as a Theravadan monk on an exchange-like program.

Spanning six countries and five decades in time, these chapters, tell of a Guru who is invited to Australia by Lama Yeshe as a translator, setting the tone for Zasep Rinpoche’s life-time quest to bring Dharma to the west, and how he eventually found his home — and citizenship — in Canada.

These chapters are all memorable, and some stand alone as “short stories.” Rinpoche’s reunion with his father years after the refugee flight is very emotional, as is his work with Gaden Relief, bringing help to people in Nepal, Tibet and Mongolia.

Without any further detail, I’ll just list the remaining chapters:

• 18 Intensive Study
• 19 Young Lama’s Home School
• 20 Guru Deva Rinpoche
• 21 Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies
• 22 As a Theravada Monk
• 23 Australia
• 24 Canada
• 25 Gaden for the West
• 26 Father and son reunited
• 27 Gaden Relief Projects
• 28 Mongolia
• 29 My retreats
• 30 Pilgrimages
• 31 Reflections

This is followed with 6 fascinating appendices describing the mountains, waters, flora and fauna of Tibet, the origins of the Tibetan People, the ancestry of Rinpoche, and the teachings and initiations he has received.

Summary: a must read for students; a should read for Buddhists

I’ll sum up as I began: Zasep Tulku Rinpoche’s A Tulku’s Journey from Tibet to Canada is equal parts autobiography, spiritual epic journey, gripping adventure narrative, inspiring Buddhist life example, and a travelogue spanning nine countries.

Of course this is a must read for Zasep Rinpoche’s students, or anyone contemplating asking to become his student. It is also a “should read” for anyone interested in Tibetan Buddhism. It’s also a good read for anyone who enjoys biographies, since it contains all of the elements of a great spiritual bio: adventure, a fascinating life, spiritual insights, and a glimpse into the lives of a once-hidden people in the land of snows.

Rinpoche truly brings Tibet alive in an intimate and honest way. While his love of his teachers, Buddhism, Tibet and his people is palpable and constant, he doesn’t portray Tibet as a “Shangri-La”, and he doesn’t hesitate to describe both the good and bad.

Background and final thoughts: why Buddhist biographies?
Why read Buddhist Biographies? Biographies of teachers and great masters have always been an important inspirational teaching method. Most Tibetan Buddhists have read the great biographies of Milarepa, Shakbar and other accomplished masters. Mahayana Buddhists around the world have been inspired by stories of the great Mahasiddhas and the Jakarta tales (biographical tales of Shakyamuni Buddha’s previous lives.) In the twentieth century, notably since 1959, after many great Tibetan Lamas became refugees following the invasion of their homeland, several biographies have inspired students — both translated earlier biographies and new biographies and autobiographies from this century’s Buddhist leaders.

For this reason, I jumped at the chance to advance review A Tulku’s Journey from Tibet to Canada by Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. Zasep Rinpoche is best known for making Tibetan teachings approachable to Western students. Along with other Western teachers who focused on making the Dharma available in English, Rinpoche’s fluency in multiple languages endeared him first to his teachers and later to his many students around the world.

A Tulku’s Journey from Tibet to Canada

Zasep Tullku Rinpoche

Wind Horse Press, Nelson, B.C.

ISBN 978-0-9920554-1-7 (Hard bound edition)

CDN $60.00

Address for Inquiry: Wind Horse Press

Box 4, Station Main,

Nelson, BC

V1L 5P7 Canada

The post Book Review: Zasep Tulku Rinpoche’s “A Tulku’s Journey from Tibet to Canada” is Equal Parts Autobiography, Spiritual Epic Journey, Gripping Adventure Narrative, Inspiring Buddhist Life Example, and a Travelogue Spanning Nine Countries. appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

His Eminence Zasep Tulku Rinpoche will tour through Toronto for an autumn/winter schedule of teachings at Gaden Choling in Toronto, including the “Three Principle Paths of Lam Rim”, and “Lama Tsongkhapas Guru Yoga Path of Clear Light and Bliss”. In November and December, for those seeking an even more committed practice, Zasep Rinpoche will offer initiations in Sarasvati, Medicine Buddha, Chod, Vajrayogini, Black Manjushri and Palden Lamo. (Full event poster and end of this feature.)

Rinpoche is popularly known for his approachable teaching style, strong humor and teachings based on a long lineage of great lamas. His own gurus included the most celebrated of Gelug teachers: His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Thupten Wanggyel, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Venerable Lati Rinpoche, Venerable Tara Tulku Rinpoche and Venerable Khalkha Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche. Rinpoche is spiritual director of many temples, meditation centers and retreat centers in Australia, the United States and Canada. He was first invited to teach in Australia by Lama Thubten Yeshe in 1976.

Autobiography Book Launch Event

On Saturday November 12, 2016, Zasep Rinpoche will be at the Wychwood Library, 2pm-4pm at 1431 Bathurst St., Toronto, to launch his autobiography A Tulku’s Journey from Tibet to Canada. In a Buddha Weekly advance book review was described as “equal parts autobiography, spiritual epic journey, gripping adventure narrative, inspiring Buddhist life example, and a travelogue spanning nine countries.” Full review>>

Sarasvati initiation: “inspiration wisdom flows from her like a sweetly flowing river”

Note: This initiation has a commitment and includes Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows

November 12 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

A rare opportunity to receive the blessings and initiation in Sarasvati, known as an inspirational wisdom Yidam. Artists, writers, and thinkers turn to Sarasvati practice for inspiration. As a heart deity (Yidam) she personifies high wisdom, high art and scholarly perfection. She is particularly loved by artists, performing artists and Dharma scholars, and is often depicted as a beautiful female Buddha on the back of a swan or peacock with four arms, with which she plays the lute. She is also the Goddess of Eloquence, as words “flow from her like a sweetly flowing river.”

Event Description from Gaden Choling: “Sarasvati is a Buddha of Wisdom. Doing her practice helps us memorize Dharma texts, gain deep wisdom in understanding the meaning of Dharma, and engage in creative Dharma pursuits such as literature, visual arts, music and dance.”

• $60
• If there is financial difficulty, please contact Gaden Choling to make other arrangements.

Medicine Buddha Initiation: “simply calling his name is a blessing”

Note: Please go early — this event is usually popular.

November 13 @ 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Millions of Buddhists turn to Medicine Buddha practice in times of pain, sickness, stress, or just for peace and comfort. This is a Sutra practice, open to all. Medicine Buddha’s kindness extends to all beings. Simply calling his name or mantra brings his blessing. Baishajyaguru is famous for His “Twelve Vows”, which includes: “I vow to relieve all pain and poverty of the sick and poor. The sick be cured, the helpless be helped, the poor be assisted.” Full story on Medicine Guru here>>

From the Gaden Choling event description: “The Medicine Buddha Sutra was taught by Lord Buddha upon the request of Bodhisattva Manjushri for healing the body/mind and cultivating harmony and peace in the world.”

NOTE CHANGE from Gaden Choling: “MEDICINE BUDDHA Initiation on SUNDAY NOVEMBER 13 at 3pm. Due to the confusion the registration page has cause, we will not be registering attendees but instead the event will be on a FIRST COME FIRST SERVE. Please arrive early as the event is in high demand. Many apologies for the inconvenience. Please share so folks are aware.”

• $60
• If there is financial difficulty, please contact Gaden Choling to make other arrangements.

Lama Je Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga Path of Clear Light and Bliss

November 14, 16, 28 and 30 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

This is a very special Guru Yoga, where we visualize our spiritual guide as Lama Tsongkhapa, a fully Enlightened Buddha. It is a major practice in Gelugpa tradition, and a powerful method for helping us connect with both the wisdom of our Guru (teacher) and the Enlightened qualities of the Yidam (heart deity). To learn more about Lama Tsongkhapa, please see our BW feature>> 

From the Gaden Choling event description: “In this series of teachings over four evenings, Venerable Zasep Rinpoche will give a commentary on Lama Chopa Guru Yoga written by the revered master, the First Panchen Lama Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen. Guru Yoga is a practice that helps our mind understand the wisdom mind of our Guru and Yidam as one. The Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa is an oral, sacred teaching of Manjushri to Lama Je Tsongkhapa; more than simply Guru Yoga, it contains the gradual path of enlightenment of a Buddha.”

• $35
• If there is financial difficulty, please contact Gaden Choling to make other arrangements.

Chöd initiation: a “powerful way to tame our internal demons”

December 1 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

“The visceral imagery of offering your own chopped up body to all sentient beings is perhaps the most misunderstood of profound Buddhist practices,” we wrote in a feature on Chod>> 

“Teachings such as Chod are advanced and profoundly effective practices that help us “cut” our ego, tame our internal “demons” and develop genuine bodhichitta for all beings. But, the need for explanation and teacher guidance is critical.”

From the Gaden Choling event description: “The essence of Chöd practice is the chapter on the subjugation of demons in the Prajnaparamita Sutra. Chöd originated with Machig Labdron, a highly realized Dakini who promulgated the practice in Tibet during the 12th century. The Chöd practice dispels negative mental states, which are our “demons.” The Chöd practice transforms mental defilement into the wisdom of Bodhichitta and Shunyata.”

• $60
• If there is financial difficulty, please contact Gaden Choling to make other arrangements.

Vajrayogini Initiation: “the practice for our times”

Commitments: This is a highest yoga tantra, advanced practice, and initiation comes with a commitment, Bodhisattva and Tantric Vows, and the requirement of making a Tsog offering ceremony twice per month.

Prerequisites: Please only attend if you have previously received Yamantaka or Heruka initiation.

December 2 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Vajrayogini practice is the highest of the high tantric practices, yet it is concise, easy to visualize and a complete path — ideal as a “practice for our times”. She is considered the “Mother of the Buddhas” because Her essence is Blissful Wisdom. Her practice is the quintessence of the Chakrasamvara root tantra, and is considered the best short practice for times of stress and degeneration, where busy lives interfere with practice. Many great Mahasiddas from India and Tibet obtained Enlightening Wisdom from her practice.

From the Gaden Choling event description: “Venerable Vajrayogini is a very sacred practice that is the essence of all mother Tantras. Through the practice, it is possible to attain the state of Vajrayogini, a fully realized Buddha, within this life time. It is said that if you practise Vajrayogini a time when true spirituality is declining, then you will have greater opportunity to attain her realizations.”

Teachings: Unless you’ve already received the commentary on the 11 Yogas of Vajrayogini, you should attend the weekend commentary. An advanced yoga practice of this class requires commentary.

• $60
• If there is financial difficulty, please contact Gaden Choling to make other arrangements.

Weekend teaching on the precious 11 Yogas of Vajrayogini

December 3 and 4th @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Note: To attend you must have received Vajrayogini initiation, either on the previous night, or on a previous occasion.

The precious 11 Yogas of Vajrayogini are literally a complete path, a Highest Yoga Tantra practice taught by many of the greatest teachers past and present from Tibet.

• $40 per day or $60 for weekend
• If there is financial difficulty, please contact Gaden Choling to make other arrangements.

Black Manjushri initiation

December 7 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

“Black Manjushri practice has a reputation for successfully helping victims of the most dangerous diseases, including cancer, heart disease and AIDS” — from the Buddha Weekly story on Black Manjushri. For more information on Black Manjushri see this BW feature>>

From the Gaden Choling event description: “The Black Manjushri initiation and practice are helpful in healing cancer and protecting against curses and negative energies.”

• $60
• If there is financial difficulty, please contact Gaden Choling to make other arrangements.

Palden Lhamo Initiation: “the great Dharma Protector, emanation of Tara”

December 8 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Palden Lhamo is the protecting Dharmapala of he Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, a wrathful deity honoured all over Tibet and Mongolia, and a main protector of the Dalai and Panchen Lamas. She is deep blue in colour with red hair to symbolize her wrathful nature. To learn more about psychology and extraordinary power of ‘Wrathful’ deities, please see this BW feature>>

From the Gaden Choling event description: “Palden Lhamo, or Sri Kali Devi, is a Dharma Protector of all Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhists; she is an emanation of Tara.”

• $60
• If there is financial difficulty, please contact Gaden Choling to make other arrangements.

The post H.E. Zasep Tulku Rinpoche Teaching in Toronto Area: Three Principle Paths of Lam Rim, Lama Je Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga Path of Clear Light and Bliss, Vajrayogini 11 Yogas; and Initiations in Sarasvati, Medicine Buddha, Chod, Vajrayogini, Black Manjushri, and Palden Lhamo appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

“In my opinion, having the opportunity to practice the guru yoga of the great holy being Lama Tsongkhapa, is more fortunate than having the chance to receive and practice other Dharma teachings,” wrote Lama Zopa Rinpoche, in the book Guru Yoga.

“After I pass away and my pure doctrine is absent,
You will appear as an ordinary being,
Performing the deeds of a Buddha
And establishing the Joyful Land, the great Protector,
In the Land of the Snows.”

-Buddha Shakyamuni in the Root Tantra of Manjushri

Many famous gurus, lamas and teachers — including the Dalai Lama, (two videos from His Holiness below), Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, and most Tibetan Gelugpa teachers — teach this very powerful, yet accessible practice. The practice does not require initiation or empowerment—although the guidance of a teacher and initiation are beneficial.

CONTENTS

• Introduction
• The Buddha of Our Times
• Tsongkhapa Practice: Short, Complete, Powerful
• Tsongkhapa’s Mantra and Migstema
• A Simple Practice Containing All 84,000 Teachings of Lord Buddha
• Actual Guru Yoga Practice of Lama Je Tsong Khapa (short version)
• In Praise of the Incomparable Tsongkhapa: Prayer from Gyalwa Mikyo Dorje, the Eighth Karmapa

Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised, “If one keeps even a drop of the nectar of the name of this holy being Lama Tsongkhapa in a devotional heart, it plants the seed of liberation and one receives the fortune to practice and enjoy happiness from this life up to enlightenment.”

The Buddha of Our Times

Lama Tsongkhapa is a “Buddha of our times” in the Gelug Vajrayana tradition. As an enlightened being, Buddha Tsongkhapa has the same realizations as all of the Conquerors (Buddhas). His practice is very powerful, in part, because he was an emanation of Avalokitesvara (compassion), Manjushri (wisdom), and Vajrapani (power). Famously, Lama Tsongkhapa wrote the three volume Lam Rim Chenmo text: The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (see below), books on Lamrim that numerous serious practitioners read, reread and refer to throughout their lives.

He is visualized as a wise and kind guru, smiling and beautiful, with a tall yellow pandit’s hat, seated on a lotus throne, with all the marks and signs of a Buddha. His kind, smiling visage makes him approachable to many new to His practice, while his authority as a great Sage makes him reliable and beneficial.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama teachings on Lama Tsongkhapa, Commentary on Lam Rim Chenmo:

Tsongkhapa, the Second Great Sage

Tsongkhapa (Je Tsong-kha-pa Blo-bzang grags-pa) (1357-1419) is considered, by millions, to be a great sage. Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, is the great Sage of our times, the Enlightened Buddha. Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), another enlightened sage, foretold Tsongkhapa’s coming.

Tsongkhapa famously wrote numerous authoritative texts, and notably the Lamrin Chenmo. His teachings rejuvenated Buddhism at a time when it fell into degenerate beliefs, and fused Sutra practices with Tantra. Tsongkhapa’s teachings instilled such belief and practice in Tibetan Buddhists that it had a profound impact on the history of Asia. Practices Tsongkhapa taught found their way into China, Japan, Korea, India and ultimately around the world.

“Both Buddha Shakyamuni and Guru Rinpoche prophesied Tsongkhapa’s birth and attainments,” wrote Alexander Berzin, August 2003, partly based on a discourse by Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, Dharamsala, India. “Buddha prophesied Manjushri would be born as a boy in Tibet, would found Ganden monastery, and would present a crown to [Buddha’s] statue… Guru Rinpoche also prophesied a monk named Lozang-dragpa would be born near China, would be regarded as an emanation of a great bodhisattva…”

In the Manjushri Root Text Buddha says, “After I have passed away, you will in the form of a child perform the actions of buddha.”

Tsongkhapa Practice: Short, Complete and Powerful

Daily Lama Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga makes it easier for us to develop compassion, and let go of anger. It is a short practice, ideal for busy people with little time to meditate.

Many Gelugpa teachers advocate Lamrim and foundation practices, including Lama Tsongkhapa and Vajrasattva practice. For example, the students of teacher Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, are taught in the “Guidelines for Students” to study sutra, tantra, Mamhamudra, Lam Rim Chen Mo, and deity yoga: “This is the order… Lama Tsongkhapa including Manjushri, Chenrezig, Vajrapani” followed by other Kirya Tantra deity practices.

Tsongkhapa Mantra and Migstema

The mantra of Lama Tsongkhapa, which can be spoken by anyone, is:

    OM AH GURU VAJRADHARA SUMATI KIRTI SIDDHI HUM

The Migstema Tsongkhapa mantra chanted by Chanted by Lama Ngawang Thogmey. Recorded in san Antonio, Texas.

The Migstema mantra can also be spoken and visualized by anyone for great benefits:

MIG MEY TZE WAY TER CHEN CHENREZIG

DRI MEY KHYEN PI WANG PO JAMPAL YANG

DU PUNG MA LU JOM DZEY SANG WEY DAG

GANG CHENG KE PEY TSUG GYEN TSONGKHAPA

LO SANG TRAG PEY SHAB LA SOL WA DEB

This can also be spoken in English, although it tends to be easier to memorize, chant and empower in the Tibetan. The English reads as:

    Objectless compassion, Cherezig

Lord of stainless wisdom, Manjushri,

Conquering mara’s hordes, Vajrapani,

Crown jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows, Tsongkhapa,

Losang Drakpa, at your feet, I pray.

Some teachers say that the Migstema mantra is so very powerful because it combines the great mantras of Avalokitesvara (Chenrezig), Manjushri and Vajrapani:

Objectless compassion, Cherezig   OM MANI PADME HUM

Lord of stainless wisdom, Manjushri   OM AH RA BA TSA NA DHI

Conquering mara’s hordes, Vajrapani  OM VAJRAPANI HUM

Crown jewel of the Sages of the Land of Snows, Tsongkhapa,

Losang Drakpa, at your feet, I pray.

A Simple Practice Containing All 84,000 Teachings of Lord Buddha

The short Guru Yoga of Lama Tsongkhapa, on one level, contains all the 84,000 teachings of Lord Buddha. As the practice is short, it is easy to memorize, and quick to practice — ten minutes from beginning to end if you don’t pause to meditate or to chant extra mantras.

In the very precious Tibetan Buddhist tradition, practices always incorporate all three of the body, speech and mind. For example:

• For body, we might fold our hands in prayer, bow, or make a symbolic mudra (hand gesture) for offerings.
• For speech, we say the words of praise, the vows of Bodhichitta, and the mantras which help focus our minds
• For mind, especially in Tibetan tradition, we visualize or imagine the Buddha in our minds, and also try to keep that visualization and the practice in context with the concept of wisdom — in this case, our own understanding of emptiness, dependent arising and so on.

As always, with any traditional Mahayana practice, there are common elements with all practices, including:;

• Refuge: we always take refuge in the three jewels: Buddha Dharma, and Sangha
• Bodhichitta vow: the most precious promise to benefit all sentient beings
• The Four Immeasurable Attitudes: aspirations for the benefit of al all beings
• Visualization: imagining or picturing the “merit field” which means picturing the Enlightened Buddha (in this case Lama Tsongkhapa) and his disciples or attendants.
• Seven Limbed Prayer: prostrations, offerings, declarations, rejoicing, requesting teachings, requesting Lama Tsongkahapa remain with us always, and a dedication.
• Offering: in this case a short mandala offering
• Mantra: spoken and visualized: often visualizing healing light from Lama Tsonkhapa going out to all sentient beings and easing their suffering.
• Final Dedication: all Tibetan practices always dedicated the merit of the virtue of the practice to the cause for Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Guru Yoga Practice of Lama Je Tsongkhapa

This version, excerpted from Gaden Choling/ Gaden for the West practice assembled under the guidance of His Eminence Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. [1]

Refuge and Bodhichitta

Say three times:

I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha,
Until I attain enlightenment.
By the merit accumulated from practicing generosity and the other perfections,
May I attain Enlightenment in order to benefit all sentient beings.

Cultivating Four Immeasurable Attitudes

Say three times:

May all beings have happiness and its causes,
May all beings be freed from suffering and its causes;
May all beings constantly dwell in joy transcending sorrow;
May all beings dwell in equal love for those both close and distant.

Visualization and Practice

Speak aloud and visualize:

From the heart of the Protector of the hundreds of deities of the the Joyful Land,
To the peak of a cloud which is like a cluster of fresh, white curd,
All-knowing Losang Dragpa, King of the Dharma,
Please come to this place together with your two chief disciples.

In the space before me on a lion throne, lotus, and moon,
The Venerable Gurus smile with delight.
Supreme Field of Merit for my mind of faith,
Please remain for a hundred aeons to spread the teaching.

Seven-Limbed Prayer

Now that you’ve invited and visualized, perform the seven-limbed prayer with all your heart:

Prostrations
Your minds of wisdom realize the full extent of objects of knowledge,
Your eloquent speech is the ear-ornament of the fortunate,
Your beautiful bodies are ablaze with the glory of renown.
I prostrate to you, whom to see, to hear, and to remember is so meaningful.

Offerings
Pleasing water offerings, various flowers,
Sweet-smelling incense, lights, scented water and so forth,
A vast cloud of offerings both set out and imagined,
I offer to you, Supreme Field of Merit.

Declarations
Whatever non-virtues of body, speech and mind
I have accumulated since time without beginning,
Especially transgressions of my three levels of vows,
With great remorse I declare each one from the depths of my heart.

Rejoicing
In this degenerate age you strove for much learning and accomplishment.
Abandoning the eight worldly concerns, you made your leisure and endowment meaningful.
Protector, from the very depths of my heart,
I rejoice in the great wave of your deeds.

Request for Dharma Teachings
From the billowing clouds of wisdom and compassion
In the space of your Enlightened minds, venerable and holy Gurus,
Please send down a rain of vast and profound Dharma
Appropriate to the disciples of this world.

Request to Remain
May your Vajra Body, created from the purity of clear light,
Free of the rising and setting of cyclic existence,
But visible to the ordinary viewer only in its unsubtle, physical form,
Stay on unchanging, without waning, until samsara ends.

Dedication
Through the virtues I have accumulated here,
May the teachings and all living beings receive every benefit. Especially may the essence of the teaching
Of Lama Je Tsong Khapa shine forever.

Short Mandala Offering

Mandala offerings from the heart are important. Visualize offering these offering objects as you say:

This mandala is built on a base resplendent with flowers, saffron water and incense,

Adorned with Mount Meru, the four lands, the sun and full moon.
By offering this pure mandala to you assembly of Buddhas here before me,
May all living beings experience pure happiness and be reborn in pure lands.
The objects of desire, aversion and ignorance,
Friend, enemy, and stranger, my body and all possessions,
These I offer without clinging for your enjoyment, Please bless me and all living beings to be released
From the three poisonous minds

OM IDAM GURU RATNA MANDALA KAMNIR YATAYAMI

I send forth this jewelled mandala to you, precious gurus.

Mantra and Migstema

Visualize as instructed by your teacher, or for a basic visualization you can visualize healing light going out to all sentient beings (including yourself) from the heart of Lama Tsongkhapa:

MIG.ME TZE.WAI TER.CHEN CHEN.RE.ZIG
DRI.ME KYEN.PAI WANG.PO JAM.PEL.YANG
DÜ.PUNG MA.LÜ JOM.DZE SANG.WAI DAG
GANG.CHEN KAY.PAI TZUG.GYAN TSONG.KHAPA
LO.ZANG DRAG.PAI ZHAB.LA SOL.WA DEB

You are Avalokitesvara, great treasure of unimaginable compassion,
And Manjushri, master of flawless wisdom,
And Vajrapani, Lord of the Secret and destroyer of hordes of maras without exception.
Tsong Khapa, crown jewel of the sages of the land of snows,
Lozang Dragpa, I make requests at your lotus feet.

MANTRA 7, 21, 108 or as many recitations as you can

OM AH GURU VAJRADHARA SUMATI KIRTI SIDDHI HUM

Requests

Glorious, precious root Guru,
Please come to the lotus and moon seat at my crown,
And in your great kindness, please remain with me.
Please bestow upon me the blessings of your body, speech and mind.
Glorious, precious root Guru,
Please descend to the lotus and moon seat in my heart,
And in your great kindness, please remain with me.
Please grant me the common and supreme realizations.
Glorious, precious root Guru,
Please remain on the lotus and moon seat in my heart,
And in your great kindness, please remain with me.
Please remain until I achieve the essence of Enlightenment.

Dedication

By this virtue may I quickly
Attain the state of a Guru-Buddha (Enlightenment),
And then may I lead every being,
without exception, into that state.
May the most precious and supreme bodhicitta awakening mind
Which has not yet been generated now be generated.
And may the precious mind of bodhicitta which has been generated
Never decline, but always increase.

Tsongkhapa the Scholar: The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment

Tsongkhapa’s writings, particularly his The Great Treatise On The Stages Of The Path To Enlightenment, helped re-invigorate the practices of Vajrayana Buddhism, and has been read and studied by countless students. Now, translated into English, in three volumes, The Great Treatise On The Stages Of The Path To Enlightenment is accessible to English-speaking peoples for the first time.

Dalai Lama introduces extensive teachings in Tsongkhapa and Lamrim:

“Of the many works of the Tibetan master Tsongkhapa, none compare in terms of popularity and breadth of influence with his Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Lamrim Chenmo), which has been treasured by practitioners and scholars alike for centuries,” wrote His Holiness the IVth Dalai Lama.

“What distinguishes it as one of the principal texts of Mahayana Buddhism is its scope and clarity. It expounds the entire path from the way one should rely on a spiritual teacher, which is the very root, right up to the attainment of Buddhahood, which is the final fruit. The various stages of the path are presented so clearly and systematically that they can be easily understood and are inspiring to put into practice.”

In Praise Of The Incomparable Tsongkhapa

By Gyalwa Mikyo Dorje, the Eighth Karmapa (1507 – 1554)

Once when Gyalwa Mikyo Dorje was travelling through the Charida Pass, thoughts of the incomparable Tsongkhapa welled up within him. Overcome by profound faith, he was moved to compose the above poem.

At a time when nearly all in this Northern Land
Were living in utter contradiction to Dharma,
Without illusion, O Tsongkhapa, you polished the teachings.
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

When the teachings of the Sakya, Kargu, Kadam
And Nyingma sects in Tibet were declining,
You, O Tsongkhapa, revived Buddha’s Doctrine,
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, gave to you
Special instructions on the thought of Nagarjuna.
O Tsongkhapa, upholder of the Middle Way,
I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

“Mind and form are not empty of their own natures
But are empty of truly existent mind and form”,
You, O Tsongkhapa, are Tibet’s chief exponent of voidness,
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

In merely a few years you filled
The land from China to India
With peerless holders of the saffron robes.
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

Those who become your followers
And look to you and your teachings
Are never again disappointed or forsaken.
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

The trainees who walk in your footsteps
Breath the fresh air of the Great Way.
They would die for the good of the world.
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

Anyone who disparages your doctrine must face
The terrible wrath of the Dharma protectors.
O Tsongkhapa, who abides in truth’s power,
I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

In person and in dreams you come to those
Who but once recollect your image.
O Tsongkhapa, who watches with compassionate eyes.
I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

In order to civilize men and spirits you spread
Your teachings through Kham, Mongolia and Turkestan:
O Tsongkhapa, subduer of savages,
I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

For men coarse and far from the Way, you dispel
Mental clouds, evils and bad karma.
O Tsongkhapa, who bestows quick progress,
I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

Those who take heartfelt Refuge in you,
Even those with no hope for now or hereafter,
O Tsongkhapa, have their every wish fulfilled.
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

Having exposed false teachings transgressing
The excellent ways well shown by Buddha,
You firmly established your Bold Doctrine.
Hence I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

Manifesting sublime austerity and discipline,
The form and fragrance of your life was incomparable.
O Tsongkhapa, controlled one pleasing to the Buddhas,
I sing this praise to you of Ganden Mountain.

By the strength of the sons of your lineage
And by my having faithfully offered this praise,
May the enlightened activity of Buddha Shakyamuni
Pervade the earth for ages to come.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Dedication:
From the merits collected by doing this work, transmitting Lama Tsongkhapa’s pure teaching — the heart of the 84,000 teachings of Buddha — into a western language, in a way as close as possible to the words and the meaning of the root text;

May this be most beneficial for all sentient beings, bringing kind mother sentient beings — whose lives are lost, under the control of karma and delusion, totally enveloped in the darkness of ignorance — to the achievement of enlightenment as quickly as possible.

May anyone who merely sees this text, reads this text, teaches this text, hears about this text, or keeps this text thereby actualize indestructible guru devotion, seeing the Guru as Buddha, and train well in the three common principles of the path, actualize the two stages, and achieve the unified state of Vajradhara as soon as possible. May he or she especially generate loving kindness, the compassionate thought, and bodhicitta and immediately become a source of peace and happiness for all sentient beings, especially in this world, and may all war, famine, disease, sickness, epidemics, torture, poverty, and the dangers of fire, water, wind, and earthquakes immediately cease so that no one will experience any of these undesirable circumstances ever again.

May the pure teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa flourish continuously and spread in all directions.

The post Lama Tsongkhapa: A Short, Powerful Practice Helps Bring Compassion, Wisdom, Good Fortune, and Healing appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.