Words of my all-good teacher
"The words of my all-good teacher" is one of the most famous texts of the old (ningma) tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, dedicated to the external and internal preliminary practices of Buddhist yoga. The book details the general and secret methods of preparing the mind, speech, and body that form the basis of traditional teaching in Tibetan Buddhism.
Translation from English: F. Malikova Editing: T. Naumenko, A. Kulik
The words of my all-good teacher. Oral Instructions on the Preliminary Practices of the Dzogchen Longchen Nyingthig Teachings. - Per. from English. - St. Petersburg: Uddiyana, 2004. - 536 p.
Preface to the Russian edition
Dzogchen Ranyak Patrul Rinpoche
The precious teachings of the incomparable son of Shuddhodana are, without a doubt, the source of all happiness, bliss and the highest blessings in our world. These teachings are alive today, not only because of the enlightened mind and great kindness of the translators-lots of former times, but also because of the work of many knowledgeable people who, having the eye of Dharma, translate Indian and Tibetan sacred texts into modern great languages. It is quite obvious that this is of great benefit to all the countless beings of our world.
I am well acquainted with the group that prepared this excellent Russian translation of Patrul Rinpoche's text by Jigme Chokyi Wangpo, “The words of my all-good teacher. Oral Instructions on the Preliminary Practices of the Dzogchen Longchen Nyingthig Teachings. Based on the Tibetan original and the English translation, the members of the group, driven by noble and selfless intentions, successfully completed the task.
The opportunity to put into practice this profound teaching is a great happiness for their compatriots. This comprehensive teaching contains not only general and specific preliminary practices, but also some of the main practices, including receiving blessings through guru yoga and practicing pova. Therefore, although the title indicates that the text is devoted to preliminary practices, in fact, it covers the entire set of practices, divided into an introductory part, main part and conclusion.
If I and other people, with sincere thoughts, flawlessly translate this profound path into practice, we will experience its fruits, because this text indicates the perfect path for achieving Buddhahood. Due to the five kinds of decline, our life has become short. If those of us who aspire to liberation truly practice this path during the short time allotted to us, then the signs of gaining its fruit will quickly appear. And it's not just words. I sincerely wish that we, with all our hearts, accepting this thought, devote ourselves to practice as much as possible.
With the hope that Dharma practice will achieve its goal, I, Ranyak Patrul, wrote these words on June 28, 2004, the eleventh day of the fifth month of the Tibetan tree-monkey year.
THE WORDS OF MY ALL-BLESSED TEACHER
KUNSANG LAME SHALLUNG
[Here] contains instructions on the preliminary practices of Dzogpa chenpo longchen ningtig, called "The words of my all-virtuous teacher."
I bow to all venerable gurus who have great impartial mercy.
I bow to all the gurus of the three lineages:
The transmission of the buddhas, going from mind to mind; symbolic transmission of the vidyadharas;
[Oral transmission] of people who, due to their happy fate, followed the exalted ones and gained a double accomplishment!
I bow to the Omniscient Dharmaraja [Longchenpa]!
He attained the dharmakaya mind in a space in which visible phenomena have dissolved.
He saw the manifestations of the pure abode of the sambhogakaya in the clear light of emptiness.
He appeared in the form of a nirmanakaya in order to do the good of sentient beings.
I bow to Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa!
Through his [double] transcendental wisdom, he saw the absolute truth in the entire knowable world.
Rays of his compassion shone, inspiring his disciples.
He explained the teaching of the supreme vehicle, the secret method.
I bow to my merciful root guru [Jigme Gyalwe Nyugu].
Avalokiteshvara in the guise of a teacher,
Doing endless deeds [to satisfy the needs] of their disciples,
He guided the path of liberation to all who heard his voice.
All the teachings of the Buddha, transmitted through the tradition of Kunken,
The essence of the secret methods is Dharma, which leads to Buddhahood in one lifetime.
The outer and inner preliminary practices of the path, as well as the transference [of consciousness], the direct path that complements the main instructions, are exclusive, secret methods that are clear and easy to understand.
These instructions of my incomparable guru I have unmistakably stated here as I keep them in my mind.
Teachers and deities, I ask for your blessings!
According to the instructions, the outer and inner preliminary practices of Dzogpa chenpo longchen nyingthig, as explained by my incomparable guru, are divided into three parts:
Part one is the general, external preliminary practices.
Part two - special, internal preliminary practices.
Part Three - Instructions on Transference of Consciousness: A Direct Method to Complement the Main Practice of Meditation.
PART ONE
General, External Preliminaries
Chapter I
THE DIFFICULTY OF ACQUISITION OF FREEDOM AND GROWTH
The instructions concerning the difficulty of gaining [a human life filled with] freedoms and gifts consist of two parts:
1. How to listen to instructions.
2. Themes of the teaching itself.
1. How to listen to instructions
[The section on how to listen to instructions] has two parts:
1. Motive reason.
2. Behavior.
1.1. motivating reason
[The motive] is of two kinds:
1) a broad approach from the position of bodhichitta;
2) the approach of the vehicle of the Secret Mantra using a variety of skillful methods.
1.1.1. Broad Bodhichitta Approach
[The broad bodhichitta approach relies on the understanding that] of all the beings living in samsara, there is not one who, throughout beginningless time, has not been your parent. When they were your parents, they had great love for you and tried to give you the best food and clothes [they could]. With great kindness they raised you, surrounding you with heartfelt care. These merciful beings yearn for happiness, but do not know how to practice the ten wholesome dharmas, the causes of happiness. They do not like to suffer, but they hardly know how to avoid the ten vices, the causes of suffering. The ends they desire with all their hearts and the means they employ contradict each other. Ignorant, on the wrong path, they are helpless, like a blind man left in the middle of the field. Generate pity for them and think, “If I hear and practice the profound Dharma now, I can help sentient beings reach their goal. These sentient beings are my parents, who are oppressed by the sufferings and hardships of the six realms, and they should be freed from all the karmic sufferings and tendencies of these six realms. I have to help them achieve the state of omniscient Buddhahood.” This is the thought [called the "broad bodhichitta approach"].
It is very important that such an impulse be present when listening to sermons, when putting them into practice - in fact, when doing any action [to achieve Buddhahood]. When accumulating merit, great or small, one should:
1) reinforce them with skillful means, developing bodhichitta;
2) to protect the accumulated merit from the imminent exhaustion caused by destructive causes by practicing meditation beyond ideas - the main stage;
3) endlessly multiplying merit, completing the practice by consecrating blessings [to all living beings]. Thus, these three sacred principles are necessary.
Therefore, when you listen to a Dharma sermon, it is not only how you listen that matters, but the motivation that makes you listen is even more important.
As they say:
The main thing is whether the thought was good or bad,
And not a material manifestation of a good or bad intention.
Therefore, no matter how much you listen to the Dharma, as long as you are driven by pride, a sense of superiority, or other impulses directly related to worldly life, you cannot be considered to be following the Dharma correctly.
Therefore, to begin with, it is extremely important to go inward and form a motivating cause. If you form the right motive, your good deeds will have a solid foundation and lead to the path of immeasurable merits of the Mahasattva. And if you do not form the right motivation, hearing and practicing the Dharma will be a mere formality. Therefore, when listening to the Dharma, putting it into practice, imagining deities, reciting mantras, performing prostrations or walking around, or even reciting at least one syllable [of the mantra] OM MANI PADME HUM, it is important to be guided in everything by the impulse - bodhichitta.
1.1.2. Approach of the vehicle of the Secret Mantra with a variety of skillful methods
From The Light of the Three Methods:
Although the Mantrayana has the same goal [as the Sutrayana],
She is free from obscurity,
Rich in methods, not fraught with difficulties
And it is intended for people with a sharp mind.
Therefore Mantrayana surpasses [all other vehicles].
The inner vehicle of Vajrayana has many entrances, many methods of accumulating merit and wisdom, and many effective methods for attaining fruition [Buddhahood] without much difficulty. In addition, these methods rely on the formation of the right attitude. They say:
Everything [is created] by causes,
And they completely depend on the main thing - your attitude.
Therefore, do not consider the place where the Dharma is preached, the teacher who preaches it, and the like as ordinary, ordinary things that are [usually] seen with deluded vision. Instead, recognize the five perfect aspects in them and listen to the Dharma with such a changed attitude.
See the place of preaching as the perfect dharmadhatu palace in the pure land of Akanistha, the teachers as the perfect dharma-kaya-Samantabhadra, and the disciples as the perfect [holders] of the lineage of the buddhas from mind to mind, the vidyadharas of the symbolic lineage, male and female bodhisattvas, gods and goddesses. Or see that the real place of Dharma preaching is the Lotus Light Palace on the Glorious Copper-Colored Mountain; the guru who preaches the Dharma is Guru Padmasambhava; and those who hear the Dharma are the eight vidyadharas, the twenty-five disciples, and the dakas and dakinis.
Or see that by its very nature the place of preaching is the perfectly pure country of Abhirati, which is in the east; the teacher is the perfect sambhogakaya Vajrasattva; and followers are a host of deities of the vajra family, as well as male and female bodhisattvas. Or see that by its very nature the place of preaching is the perfectly pure land of Sukha-vati, which is in the west; the teacher is the perfect Buddha Amitabha; and the followers are a host of perfect deities of the lotus family, male and female bodhisattvas, as well as gods and goddesses.
Whichever option you choose, you must have firm faith in the wheel of Mahayana Dharma that has been turning since time immemorial. As for all these [pictures you present], know that you are representing something that really exists, and not something that does not really exist.
Guru personifies all the buddhas of the three times. Since, in essence, his body is the Sangha, his speech is the Dharma, and his mind is the Buddha, he represents the Three Jewels. Since his body is Guru, his speech is Deva and his mind is Dakini, he personifies all the Three Roots. Because his body is nirmanakaya, his speech is sambhogakaya, and his mind is dharmakaya, he embodies all three kayas. He is the embodiment of all the buddhas of the past, the source of the buddhas of the future, and the vicar of all the buddhas of the present. Since he liberates the beings of this age of degeneration who could not be saved even by thousands of buddhas of the Blissful Kalpa, in terms of his mercy and kindness, he is even more important than all these buddhas.
They say:
Guru is Buddha, Guru is Dharma, Guru is Sangha.
Guru is the doer of everything. The Guru is the glorious Vajradhara.
The way it is. We, his followers, who hear the Dharma from him, also have a foundation - the essence of a Buddha, a support - a precious human body, and the cause [of our enlightenment] - spiritual teachers. Based on the secret method of Tantra, we become the Buddhas of the future.
From the Hevajra Tantra:
Although sentient beings are essentially buddhas,
They are marred by accidental pollution.
Remove the defilements and the true buddha will appear.
1.2. Behavior
The [Instructions on Conduct] are divided into two sections:
1) behavior to be avoided;
2) the behavior to be learned.
1.2.1. Behaviors to Avoid
The [Instructions on Behavior to Avoid] are divided into three sections:
1) three flaws in the vessel;
2) six pollutions [vessels];
3) five wrong ways of perceiving.
1.2.1.1. The Three Flaws of the Vessel [The Three Flaws of the Vessel] are:
1) the defect of the inverted vessel - the inability to listen;
2) defect of a leaky vessel - inability to remember what was heard;
3) the defect of a vessel spoiled by poison - the habit of mixing [heard] with their delusions.
1.2.1.1.1. [Flaw of the Inverted Vessel]
When listening to the Dharma, it is necessary, without allowing the mind of hearing to be distracted by anything, to focus on the sound that transmits the Dharma and listen. Not listening in this way is like pouring a precious liquid into a vessel upside down. Let your body be present at the teaching, you will not hear a single word of the Dharma.
1.2.1.1.2. [Flaw of the Leaky Vessel]
Treating the Dharma superficially and not keeping it in mind is like pouring precious liquid into a vessel with a hole in the bottom: no matter how much you pour, nothing will remain in it. You cannot put the teachings into practice no matter how much you listen to the Dharma.
1.2.1.1.3. [Flawed Vessel Corrupted by Poison]
If you listen to the Dharma with evil intentions, such as the desire to strengthen your position and fame, or if you are under the influence of the five poisons - lust, hatred, ignorance, [pride and jealousy], - the Dharma will not have a beneficial effect on your mind. In fact, Dharma will become the opposite of Dharma. It's like pouring precious moisture into a poisoned vessel. On this occasion, the Indian sage Dampa said:
Listen to the Dharma as a deer listens to music.
Meditate on the Dharma like a northern nomad shearing a sheep.
Meditate as the mute eats food.
Practice the Dharma diligently like a hungry yak eats grass.
Bear fruit as the sun comes out from behind the clouds.
The sage says that when listening to the Dharma, one should be like a deer enchanted by the sounds of guilt, which does not notice how a hidden hunter fires a poisoned arrow at it. Clasping hands in prayer and not distracting the mind to any other thoughts, one should listen to the Dharma with delight, from which goosebumps run through the body, and eyes fill with tears.
If you are present at the teaching only with your body, and your mind is carried away by extraneous thoughts, your mouth is busy with chatter, your eyes look around, then this is no good. Listening to the Dharma, you need to stop all, even pious, actions: do not say prayers, do not sort out the rosary - just listen. Even if you listened in this way, after that you need to remember the meaning of everything said and do not forget to constantly apply it in practice.
Buddha said:
I show the way to liberation
But know that gaining liberation depends on yourself.
Therefore, the guru instructs the disciple only to teach him how to listen to the Dharma, how to practice, how to avoid negative actions, how to perform good actions, and how to accept [Dharma] wholeheartedly. The disciple should remember [the guru's instructions] and follow them steadily. If you do not take them wholeheartedly, then although there may be minimal benefit from hearing the Dharma, you still will not understand the meaning of the words, which is tantamount to not hearing them at all. And even if you take the instructions with all your heart, but mix them with delusion, they will never be pure Dharma. The incomparable Dagpo Rinpoche said:
If the Dharma is not followed properly, the Dharma itself can cause rebirth in the lower realms.
Therefore, if you contradict the guru and Dharma who are higher than you, condemn your spiritual associates who are on the same level with you, and presumptuously neglect karmic consequences and harbor other immoral thoughts, this will lead to rebirth in the lower realms. Avoid all this.
1.2.1.2. Six impurities [vessel] From Namshe puma:
Pride,
lack of faith
lack of interest
distraction to the outside
dive into yourself
despondency.
These are the six defilements.
As it is said here, pride, that is, the thought: "I am superior even to a teacher who explains the Dharma"; lack of faith in the Dharma and guru; lack of interest in the Dharma; preoccupation of the mind only with external events; immersion in oneself and focusing the five senses on the inner world; discouragement [for example, about the fact that the teaching goes on for too long] - these are the six defilements that should be eliminated.
1.2.1.2.1. [Pride]
Of all these obstacles—sources of delusion—pride and jealousy are the hardest to recognize. Therefore, you should constantly watch your mind. If you are proud of your insignificant spiritual or worldly knowledge and have attachment to it, then you will not be able to see your own internal shortcomings and the merits of others. Therefore, avoid pride and always adhere to modesty.
1.2.1.2.2. [Lack of faith]
Lack of faith closes the gates of Dharma. From the four kinds of faith, acquire unshakable faith.
1.2.1.2.3. [lack of interest]
Interest in the Dharma is the basis of all knowledge. Dharma followers reach a high, medium, or low level as a result of high, medium, or low interest in the Dharma. You will never advance in the Dharma if you have no interest in it. Even the proverb says, "Although Dharma belongs to no one, it belongs to the one who works hard." Indeed, in order to find just one quatrain of the Dharma, the Buddha had to light a thousand lamps by making depressions in his own body and pouring oil into them, and also jump through a fiery ditch, drive a thousand nails into the body and endure hundreds of other trials. [One of the sutras says]
May you have to go through fire and sharp blades, Seek the Dharma to the very threshold of death.
Therefore, based on what has been said, one should listen to the Dharma with such great interest that all difficulties, such as heat, cold, and other obstacles, recede.
1.2.1.2.4. [Outward distraction]
The attraction of the mind to the six external sense objects is the root cause of all illusory conceptions and the source of all suffering. For example, moths die in flames because their eye consciousness craves visual images. Wild animals fall prey to the hunter because their ear consciousness craves sound. Bees perish when they are trapped in a flower because their sense of smell craves the smell. Fish are hooked because their tongue craves the taste. Elephants drown in the quagmire because their bodies yearn to be touched. In addition, when listening to, studying or practicing the Dharma, one should try not to return to past impressions, not to look forward to future events, and in the present not to be distracted by the surroundings.
Gyalse Rinpoche said:
Past sorrows and joys are like drawings on water.
The past leaves no trace, don't try to find it.
If you really want to think about the past, think about what
wealth is replaced by poverty, and the meeting is replaced by separation.
Hey, lovers of mumbling "mani"! Can one rely on anything other than the Dharma?
Preparing for the future is like setting up nets in a dry riverbed.
Give up ambitious aspirations that do not reach the desired goal.
If you really want to look into the future, think about the fact that the [time] of death is unknown.
Hey, lovers of mumbling "mani"! Do you have time to devote it to anything other than the Dharma?
Today's classes are like household chores that you see in a dream.
Give them up, because worldly efforts will bring nothing.
It is possible to earn a living honestly without attachment.
Hey, lovers of mumbling "mani"!
It is completely pointless to plunge headlong [in worldly affairs].
Until all thoughts manifest as dharmakaya,
You can not do without exercises aimed at recognizing the three poisons in the state after meditation.
So remember this as needed.
Hey, lovers of mumbling "mani"! Do not let the thoughts that flow from delusion multiply without restraint.
Another time the same Gypy said:
Don't look forward to the future.
If you look forward to the future
You will become like the father of the Famous Moon.
There lived a poor man. One day he found a pile of barley. He collected it in a bag and hung it from the ceiling. Lying under it, he began to dream: “Now I will get rich on this barley, and then I will marry. My wife will definitely bear me a son. What should I call him? The moon was just rising and the poor man decided that he would name his son Dawa Dragpa (Famous Moon). But then the rope on which the bag hung broke, because a mouse gnawed it, the bag fell on the poor fellow and killed him. Endless dreams of the past and future rarely come true. Since they only take time, they should be completely discarded. Listen [to the Dharma] mindfully, attentively and thoughtfully.
1.2.1.2.5. [Immerse yourself]
If you are too deeply absorbed in yourself and just snatch out individual sayings of the Dharma, then you are like a dremo bear that digs out the holes of marmots. Having barely caught one, he begins to look for another, forgetting about the first. [Therefore] he never manages to catch them all. In addition, excessive self-absorption causes drowsiness, obscures consciousness and develops many other shortcomings. Therefore, moderate concentration should be maintained - neither too tense nor too relaxed. In ancient times, Shrona studied meditation with Ananda. Shro never succeeded in meditation because he was either too tense or too relaxed. When this was told to the Buddha, he asked Shrona:
- When you were a layman, you played the vina well, didn't you?
- Yes very good.
- When did the wine sound better - with the strings too tight or too loose?
- It is best if the strings are stretched in moderation: neither too strong nor too weak.
- The same should be done with the mind.
By following this advice, Shrona achieved his goal.
Machig Labdron said the same thing:
Be firmly focused and relaxed without tension. This is the key to understanding the view.
In accordance with her words, do not plunge your mind into yourself too hard - achieve a moderate balance and keep the senses relaxed.
1.2.1.2.6. [Despondency]
When listening to a teaching, you should not feel discouraged and lose your zeal for the Dharma due to hunger or thirst, feeling that the teaching has been going on for too long, or because of the inconvenience caused by wind, sun or rain. On the contrary, think like this: “Now I have a complete human body, I have met a genuine guru, and I am happy because I can learn deep spiritual practices. This opportunity is the result of merit accumulated over countless kalpas. The opportunity to listen to the Dharma is like a feast that happens once in a hundred years. For the sake of the Dharma, I am ready to endure any hardship: heat, cold, anything.”
With this in mind, one should listen to the Dharma with pleasure and joy.
1.2.1.3. The Five Wrong Perceptions [Five Wrong Perceptions] are:
1) perceive words, but not meaning;
2) perceive the meaning, but not the words;
3) perceive both words and meaning, but misinterpret them;
4) misperceive word order;
5) misunderstand the meaning of words.
1.2.1.3.1. [Perceive the words, but not the meaning]
To attach importance only to beautiful words, pleasing to the ear, and not bother to comprehend their deep meaning, is to be like a child picking flowers. The sound of words will not benefit your mind.
1.2.1.3.2. [Perceive the meaning, but not the words]
Some consider the method of presentation of the teaching to be an unnecessary husk and tend to ignore it, looking for support in the sense. But there is no meaning that would not be based on words, so words and meaning will lose their connection.
1.2.1.3.3. [Perceive both words and meaning, but misinterpret them]
The teachings are different: some reveal the truth in a direct way, others in an indirect way. If [the latter] is interpreted incorrectly [i.e. e. literally], there will be confusion in the meaning of the words and they will be contrary to the pure Dharma.
1.2.1.3.4. [Incorrect word order]
If you confuse the order of words, they will contradict the correct sequence of the Dharma. This discrepancy will continue forever whether you are listening, teaching or meditating.
1.2.1.3.5. [Misunderstood the meaning of the words]
If you misunderstand the meaning of the words, then through a long habit of misconceptions, your mind will be damaged and you will dishonor the teaching.
Thus, all erroneous [modes of perception] should be avoided. The correct meaning contained in the words, the correct order of words - all this must be studied properly. Do not lazily give up trying to understand the teaching because it seems difficult or too extensive, but make an effort. Do not take lightly what seems easy and brief: keep it firmly in your mind so that you do not forget. Do not make mistakes in the sequence of words and firmly remember all the words and their meaning.
1.2.2. Behavior to be learned
[Behavior to be Learned] has three parts:
1) stick to the four similitudes;
2) practice the six paramitas;
3) follow other ways of behaving.
1.2.2.1. Four Comparisons From the Gandavyuha Sutra:
Son of a noble family!
Make yourself like a sick person;
Liken the Dharma to medicine;
Liken a teacher to a skillful doctor;
Compare constant practice to a cure that will surely overcome the disease.
As it is said here, you, who have been drowning in this ocean of samsara's suffering since time immemorial, are like a sick person afflicted with an illness, the causes of which are three poisons, and the outcome is three sufferings.
He who is seriously ill resorts to the help of a skilled doctor and follows all his advice, takes all the prescribed medicines, because he longs for happiness, that is, recovery. In the same way, in order to get rid of such ailments as karma, misfortune and suffering, one must follow the instructions of a genuine guru - a skilled physician and apply the medicine - the holy Dharma. If, having found a guru, you do not follow his instructions, then he will be like a doctor who is unable to help a patient who does not follow his advice. If you don't take the medicine of the holy Dharma - don't put it into practice, then you are like a sick person who hides a bunch of medicines and prescriptions under his pillow, but does not take them and does not get any benefit from them.
Nowadays, people usually have high hopes for the gracious help of a teacher, while they themselves continue to engage in worldly affairs. They think they won't have to reap the rewards of wrongdoing because the guru of mercy will send them straight to heaven as easily as throwing a pebble. However, the words that the guru supports us with his mercy should be understood as follows: he guides you with his compassionate mercy; teaches deep methods; opens your eyes to discern what to take and what to avoid; shows you the path to liberation consistent with the teachings of the Buddha. There is no mercy other than this. And whether you follow the path to liberation, relying on this mercy, depends on you.
This time you have gained a human condition, endowed with freedoms and gifts, you know what to accumulate and what to reject. Now the decision is in your hands. It is now that you decide what choice you will make - good or bad. Therefore, it is important, following the exact instructions of the guru, to solve the issue of samsara and nirvana forever.
Village priests, sitting at the head of the deceased, give him instructions: "This is a crossroads of two roads - leading up and leading down - as if you are directing the horse with reins." However, if you do not have sufficient experience [of meditation], at this time the red wind of karma urges you on from behind, drags you forward by the darkness of fear, presses from the sides of the gorge of the bardo, and countless servants of Yama drive from all sides, shouting: “Kill, kill! Break it, break it!” You have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, no protector, no one to rely on or rely on. How can a time when you do not know what to do be a crossroads of two roads - leading up and leading down?
It is too late to initiate a piece of paper with your name on it when your mind is running around in the bardo like a mad dog. Directing [consciousness] to the higher worlds is indeed a difficult task.
So the crossroads of two roads - leading up and down, when you can guide the horse with the reins - this is exactly the time when you are still alive.
As long as you are a human being, the good deeds done for the ascent [to the higher worlds] are more effective than the merit accumulated in any other state. Care must be taken not to waste this precious life in vain. After all, you also have more opportunities to commit negative deeds that lead down than other living beings. Therefore, you can certainly create the cause for the inevitable [fall] into the abyss of the lower realms. Now you have met a teacher who is like a skilled physician, and you have met the holy Dharma, who is like a healing medicine. Therefore, right now you must adhere to these sublime similitudes and embark on the path to liberation, putting into practice the Dharma you have heard.
And you also need to avoid what is likened to the opposite. From the treatise Yonten zo:
hypocritical student
deceives with humble words,
looks at the teacher like a musk deer,
takes possession of the holy Dharma like mined musk, and then
breaks the bonds of the vow, because he loves only hunting.
Here it is said that one should not receive the Dharma and practice it, likening the guru to a musk deer, Dharma to a musk, oneself to a hunter, and constant attempts to practice as trying to kill a musk deer with an arrow or lure it into a trap. One who does not appreciate the kindness of the guru uses the Dharma to accumulate sins that drag him like a stone to hell.
1.2.2.2. Practicing the Six Paramitas
The behavior to be learned must have the following qualities of the six paramitas. The Tantra Containing All the Secret Instructions of the Dharma on the Aspect of Behavior says:
make offerings such as flowers or seat cushions;
keep in order the place where Dharma instructions are given, and watch your conduct;
do not harm any living beings;
be completely devoted to the teacher;
listen carefully to his instructions;
ask questions to clarify your doubts.
These are the six [paramitas] that the hearers should possess.
So, you should arrange the throne of Dharma by covering it with pillows, offering mandalas, flowers, and the like. This is the practice of generosity].
Clean [the place where instruction is given], sprinkle water to keep it dust-free, and correct all faults, including disrespectful behaviour. This is the practice of morality.
Avoid harming even the smallest insects and patiently endure difficulties: heat, cold, etc. This is the practice of patience.
Avoid any feeling of dislike for the guru and the teachings, listen to the Dharma with joy and true faith. This is the practice of diligence.
Listen to the instructions of the guru without distraction. This is the practice of dhyana.
Ask questions to clear all your doubts. This is the practice of wisdom.
Thus, the listener has to master the six paramitas.
1.2.2.3. Other behaviors
From Vinaya's instructions:
Do not teach those who have no respect.
Those who cover their heads, although they are not sick,
Those who walk with umbrellas, canes or weapons,
And those who decorate their heads with a turban should not be taught.
From Jataka:
Take the lowest seat
Show signs of a restrained mind
Look with joyful eyes
Hear the Dharma with full attention,
Like tasting the nectar of words.
So, any disrespectful behavior should be avoided.
2. Themes of the teaching itself
The Instructions on the Difficulty of Gaining Freedoms and Gifts are divided into four sections:
1. Reflection on the main topic - the nature of freedoms.
2. Reflection on the special gifts associated with the Dharma.
3. Reflection on examples showing the difficulty of gaining
[human body].
4. Reflection on the negligible probability [of gaining a man
eternal body].
2.1. Reflection on the main theme - on the nature of freedoms
Generally speaking, "freedoms" refers to the good fortune to be born not in one of the eight unfavorable states that leave no freedoms, but in a state that provides the opportunity to practice the sublime Dharma. Eight conditions are said to be unfavorable in which there is no time [to practice the Dharma].
It's said like this:
inhabitants of hell
pretas,
animals,
savages,
long-lived gods
people with wrong views
people born at a time when there are no buddhas,
dumb.
These eight are deprived of freedom.
Thus, it is stated that if you are born in hell, there is no way to follow the Dharma, because you are constantly tormented by heat and cold.
Those born as pretas have no opportunity to follow the Dharma because they are constantly tormented by hunger and thirst.
In the animal world, there is no way to practice the Dharma because animals suffer from being enslaved and attacked by other animals.
Long-lived gods spend their time in an indifferent state and have no opportunity to practice the Dharma.
If you are born in a country of savages, there is no way to practice the Dharma because it is not there.
If you take birth as an evil tirtha-kam because your mind is polluted with false views, you have no opportunity to practice the Dharma.
If you are born in a dark kalpa, you will never hear the sound [of the words] "Three Jewels". Since you are unable to distinguish between good and evil, there is no way to practice the Dharma.
If you were born mute, your mind is inoperable, so there is no way to practice the Dharma.
2.1.1. [States of the inhabitants of hell, pretas and animals]
Beings born in the three lower realms of these eight inauspicious states suffer continuously from heat, cold, and hunger, the karmic consequences arising from their own past misdeeds. Therefore, they do not have the freedoms to follow the Dharma.
2.1.2. [State of the Savages]
The word "savage" refers to the savages of the thirty-two border regions [with Tibet] such as Lokatra, etc., as well as those who consider it Dharma to cause suffering [to others]. Although these frontier savages are human, they do not turn their minds to the sublime Dharma. They adhere to the traditions of their ancestors, which include such impious customs as marrying their own mother, and therefore their behavior is contrary to the teachings of the Dharma. Since these savages are particularly good at such negative activities as killing living beings and hunting wild animals, many of them immediately go to hell after death. Therefore, [this state] is unfavorable.
2.1.3. [State of the long-lived gods]
Long-lived gods live in an indifferent state. Those who practice dhyana, in which there is no distinction between good and evil, and consider this the final liberation, are born indifferent gods. They enjoy this dhyana for many great eons. When the karma that elevated them to the [world of the gods] is exhausted, they renounce their belief [in liberation]. Since they are reborn in hell due to false views, this state is also unfavorable for Dharma practice.
2.1.4. [The state of people with false views]
Those who do not belong to the Buddhist faith hold the false views of nihilists or eternalists, which are contrary to the teachings of the Buddha. There is no way for them to develop pure faith in order to practice the Dharma, because their minds are filled with wrong ideas. Tibet, on the other hand, was [until recently] inaccessible to these tirthikas because Orgen Rinpoche, the Second Buddha, assigned twelve guardian sisters to protect Tibet.
People like tirthikas who hold views that are contrary to the perfect Dharma are also unable to follow it properly. They look like the monk Sunakshat-ru. After serving the Buddha for twenty-five years, he nevertheless did not have an iota of faith in him and treated him with disdain, and therefore was reborn in the garden as a hungry ghost.
2.1.5. [The condition of those born in the dark kalpa]
A dark kalpa is a period when there are no buddhas. If you were born in a world where there are no buddhas, you won't even hear the words "Three Jewels". Since there is no idea of the holy Dharma there, it is an inauspicious state.
2.1.6. [State of the mute]
If you were born mute, then your mind is not fit to listen to the Dharma, study it, or meditate. Usually, one who cannot speak is called dumb, but the condition of a person implies knowing the words and understanding their meaning, and therefore people who, due to dumbness, have a very weak mind and cannot understand the meaning of Dharma, are in an unfavorable state.
2.2. Reflection on Special Gifts Related to the Dharma
Special gifts associated with the Dharma:
1) five own talents;
2) five gifts depending on circumstances;
.
2.2.1. Five personal gifts
As Nagarjuna said, these gifts are:
to be born as a human;
be born in a middle country;
possess perfect sense organs;
lead a decent life;
have faith in the Dharma.
If one is not born as a human being, there will be no opportunity to meet the Dharma. Therefore, the human body is a [good] gift.
If you are born in a suburban country where the Dharma is not practiced, you will not meet the Dharma either. Therefore, to be born as you were born now, in the middle country where Dharma reigns, is a [good] talent.
If you are born with defective sense organs, it will be a hindrance. Since you are now free from such shortcomings, you have a gift - full-fledged sense organs.
An unworthy way of life is always fraught with harmful actions that make one turn away from the Dharma. Since now you are engaged in a worthy business, accumulating merit, you have a special talent - pious thoughts.
If you do not have faith in the teachings of the Buddha, there will be no inclination towards the Dharma. Now you are able to turn your mind to the Dharma, and therefore you have a [good] gift - faith.
Thus, one must possess these five [gifts], which are called "the five own good gifts."
2.2.1.1. [Be born human]
To truly practice the true, pure Dharma, one must be human.
If you have not acquired a human body, then the best of the three lower worlds is the world of animals. Animals may be beautiful, valuable, etc., but no matter how high their virtues, it is useless to tell them that you can become a Buddha if you utter [the mantra] OM MANI PADME HUM even once - they will not hear these words, they will not understand their meaning, they will not be able to pronounce them. Even dying from the cold, they will lie still, not knowing any way to keep warm. A person, however weak he may be, will be able to hide in a cave or under a tree, collect firewood, build a fire and warm his face and hands. If animals are incapable even of this, how can they even think of practicing the Dharma?
It is believed that the gods have the best body, but their way of life is not conducive to taking perfect vows leading to liberation. Therefore, the gods do not have the happy opportunity to receive the Dharma in its entirety.
2.2.1.2. [Born in the Middle Country]
The concept of "middle country" can be seen in terms of location and in terms of Dharma. As for the location, Bodhgaya in India is considered the center of the world - a holy place where thousands of Buddhas of the Good Kalpa gain enlightenment. [It is believed that] it will survive the collapse of the world at the end of the kalpa, resist the destructive elements and remain in the form of a sickle hanging in space with a Bodhi tree in the middle. Bodhgaya and all other cities of India surrounding it is a middle country in terms of location.
From the point of view of Dharma, the middle country is the one in which the teachings of the Buddha flourish. Other countries are considered marginal.
However, although India has been regarded as a middle country, both spiritually and in location, from the time of the Buddha until his Dharma disappeared from India, in modern times even Bodh Gaya has been taken over by the Tirthikas, and it is said that the teachings of the Buddha are there. no more. So, from a Dharma point of view, India can also be considered a marginal country.
As for Tibet, the Land of Snows, when the Buddha appeared in our world, this country was almost not inhabited by people. Therefore, it was called "Tibet, the outlying country." Then people and kings gradually appeared - supernatural emanations.
Dharma first appeared in Tibet during the reign of Lha Totori Nentsen, when the Sutra of a Hundred Invocations and Prostrations, forms for sa-tsa and other [sacred objects] were found on the roof of his palace [Yumbu Lakar]. It was foretold that their meaning would become clear at the time of the fifth of the succeeding kings.
In accordance with this prophecy, King Songtsen Gampo, an emanation of Avalokiteshvara, sent the translator Thonmi Sambhota to India, where he studied Sanskrit, literature, etc. When he returned, this translator introduced a system of writing in Tibet, which was not there before. Twenty-one sutras and tantra dedicated to Avalokiteshvara, Nenpo sangwa and other books were translated into Tibetan. The king, appearing in various guises by supernatural means, and his minister Gartongtsen, using diplomacy, ensured the protection of the country; for the same purpose, the king married two princesses: a Chinese and a Nepalese. As a dowry, the princesses brought with them two Buddha statues, as well as many other symbols of the Dharma. In order to subdue the Demons, the main temple, Rasa Trulnang, was erected in Lhasa, and many tadul and yangdul temples were built in other important places.
It was during the reign of Trisong Deutsen, the fifth [after Songtsen Gampo] king, that the great teacher of Tantra Padmasambhava, the Guru of Oddiyana, unparalleled in the three worlds, was invited to Tibet, and with him one hundred and eight other panditas. Temples were built, including the Samye Mingyur Lhungi Drubpe Tsuglagkang, receptacles for images of the Body of the Buddha. The great translator Vairochana and one hundred and eight other panditas began translating the books. They translated the sublime Dharma - basically all the sutras, tantras and sastras common in the holy country of India - the pillars of the Buddha's Speech. Seven spiritually awakened people were ordained as monks and formed a sangha - the backbone of the Mind of the Buddha. Thus the Buddha's teaching rose in Tibet like the sun.
From then until now, although the Dharma has undergone various tests, the traditions of oral transmission and the practice of comprehending the teachings of the Buddha have been preserved in their original purity. Therefore, from the point of view of Dharma, Tibet is a middle country.
2.2.1.3. [Have perfect sense organs]
If any of your senses are defective, you will not be able to take monastic vows. You do not have the opportunity to see the images of the Buddha and other objects of worship, read or listen to sacred books - objects that promote study and reflection. Therefore, you will not be able to fully perceive the Dharma.
2.2.1.4. [Lead a worthy lifestyle]
"To lead an unworthy life" - usually they say so about hereditary hunters, prostitutes, etc., who were led on the wrong path from childhood. But, in essence, all those who in deed, word and thought contradict the Dharma are engaged in an unworthy craft. You can be born in a respectable family, but then do an unworthy business. Care must be taken that the mind is not occupied with that which is contrary to the sublime Dharma.
2.2.1.5. [Have faith in the Dharma]
If you do not have faith in the teachings of the Buddha, which is worthy of all reverence, then even a deep faith in strong worldly gods, nagas and the like, or in the teachings of the tirthikas cannot save you from samsara and the sufferings of the lower realms. If, through oral transmission and the practice of insight, you have developed faith in the teachings of the Buddha, then you can be considered a worthy receptacle of the sublime Dharma.
2.2.2. Five Gifts Depending on Circumstances These gifts are:
Buddha reveals himself;
Buddha preaches the Dharma;
Dharma exists;
[Dharma] is followed;
there is a [teacher] who has compassion for others.
If you are not born in a bright kalpa, when the Buddha appears in this world, then you will not even hear the word "Dharma". Now, when you were born in the kalpa during which the Buddha revealed himself, you have a special gift - the Teacher.
If a Buddha visits this world but does not preach the Dharma, you will not benefit from it. Since [Gautama Buddha] preached the Dharma on three levels, you have the gift of preaching the sublime Dharma.
If the Dharma is preached but the teaching disappears, you will not benefit from it. Now, when the term of Dharma has not expired, you have the gift - [present] time.
If the Dharma is preserved but [people] do not accept it, there will be no benefit. But you, who accepted it, have a talent - a good opportunity.
If you accept the Dharma, but you do not have a teacher, which is absolutely necessary, then you will not be able to understand the essence of the Dharma. If you are guided by such a good friend, you have a gift - his extraordinary compassion.
Since the acquisition of these five gifts does not depend on yourself, but on others, they are called the five gifts that depend on circumstances.
2.2.2.1. [Be born in a bright kalpa]
Kalpa is a period of time measured by the epochs of the formation, stay, destruction and disappearance of the universe. The kalpa during which the Buddha appears in the world is called the bright kalpa. If not a single Buddha appears in the world, this time is called a dark kalpa. In past times, during the great kalpa called Manifest Joy, thirty-three thousand buddhas came into the world. This period was followed by a hundred kalpas [fit only] for savages. After that, eight hundred million buddhas appeared during the perfect kalpa, and then a hundred dark kalpas passed. After that, eight hundred and forty million buddhas appeared in the Excellent Kalpa, and then five hundred dark Kalpas came. After that, eight hundred million buddhas appeared in the Pleasant Kalpa, and then seven hundred dark Kalpas came. During the Joyful Kalpa, sixty thousand buddhas appeared, and then the current Auspicious Kalpa came.
Before the current kalpa arose, a billion world systems were filled with waters, among which thousand-petalled lotuses bloomed. The gods of the Brahma world, disposed towards enlightenment, saw this through their clairvoyance and considered it a sign of the arrival of a thousand buddhas in this kalpa. Therefore they called this kalpa Blessed. From the advent of the Buddha named Krakuchchanda, when human life lasted eighty thousand years, to the advent of the Buddha named Mopa Tae, when people will live for countless years, a thousand Buddhas will visit Bodhgaya in this world, who will attain full enlightenment and turn the Wheel of Dharma . Therefore, it is a bright kalpa. After it will come sixty kalpas of savages [when beings live] of the lower race, and after them the kalpa of Great Numbers will follow, in which ten thousand buddhas will manifest themselves. Then ten thousand eons of domination by the inferior race will come. Thus, light and dark kalpas will alternate.
If you are born in a dark kalpa, you will not even hear the sound of the words "Three Jewels". In addition, the teaching of the Secret Mantra - Vajrayana will be very rare.
The great Orgen Rinpoche said:
During the Kunko kalpa of the first great [cycle] kalpas, Buddha Nonzhungi Gyalpo made the teachings of the Secret Mantra widely known. This teaching also prevails at the present time - the time of Buddha Shakyamuni. A million kalpas after ours, the kalpa of Metog Kopa will come. Then a buddha named Manjushri will appear, just like the current Buddha, and he will also preach the Secret Mantra widely. Only in these three kalpas will living beings capable of perceiving the Secret Mantra live. Apart from these three kalpas, the Secret Mantra will not be known at any other times because there will be no worthy living beings.
As he said, Shakyamuni Buddha appeared in this world during our Blessed Kalpa, when people live for a hundred years, and therefore this Kalpa is bright.
2.2.2.2. [To be born at a time when a Buddha preaches the Dharma]
Even if the buddhas come into the world but are immersed in meditation and do not preach, the light of Dharma will not appear. [Therefore, such a kalpa] will not be different from the time when there is no buddha.
Buddha Shakyamuni, having attained enlightenment in Bodhgaya under the Bodhi tree, said:
I discovered the nectar-like Dharma:
Deep, soothing, simple, whole, clear.
Whomever you teach, no one will understand it,
Therefore, I will live in the forest and remain silent.
Having said this, he did not preach for seven weeks until Indra and Brahma begged him to turn the Wheel of Dharma.
In addition, if mentors who are proficient in the Dharma do not teach it, sentient beings do not truly benefit. For example, the Indian teacher Dharmaswami Smritijnana traveled to Tibet to help his mother, who he knew had been reborn in one of the indefinable hells. On the way, his translator died. Smritijnana wandered around Kham, and because he did not know the language, he even had to herd cattle. Not having time to bring spiritual benefits to living beings, he died. When Atisha Dipan[kara] Srijnana later visited Tibet and heard this story, he said, “Alas! Bad luck for you, Tibetans. In all India, from west to east, there is no greater pandita than Smritijnana." And he folded his hands and wept.
During the present period of time, Shakyamuni Buddha preached the Dharma on three levels, according to the mental capacity of beings capable of attaining enlightenment. He manifested in countless bodily forms to liberate sentient beings [with the help of] the nine vehicles of teaching.
2.2.2.3. [Be born at a time when Dharma exists]
Even if the buddhas come into the world and teach the Dharma, but then the Dharma disappears as it expires, such times are no different from a dark kalpa. When the teaching of the previous Buddha ends, and the teaching of the succeeding Buddha has not yet appeared, such a period is considered the time without a Buddha. Although Pratyekabuddhas visit some happy regions that have merit, they do not practice the teachings or listen to the Dharma.
The current age of Shakyamuni Buddha will last five thousand years. Of these, the Teaching of the Mind of Samantabhadra, or the Teaching of the Fruit, was preserved for one and a half thousand years; his [intense] practice continued for another fifteen hundred years; its oral transmission will also last one and a half thousand years; and the mere preservation of its symbols will last another five hundred years. At the present time, of these five thousand years, three and a half or four thousand years have already passed. Although we have entered the era of the five degenerations of [shortening] life span, [increasing perversion] of views, [strengthening] obscurations, [degradation of the qualities of beings, and degeneration of time] - in fact, the teachings of oral transmission and the practice of insight have not yet disappeared. Thus, we still have the gift of sublime Dharma.
2.2.2.4. [It is correct to enter the Dharma]
Even if the Dharma exists and you don't follow it, you won't be able to achieve Buddhahood based on oral traditions and insight practices. Dharma is compared to the sun: although it illuminates the whole earth, one who is blind will not benefit from it. Or Dharma is compared to a huge lake: even once on the shore, you will not quench your thirst if you do not get drunk from it.
Even if you follow [Dharma], but you do it to overcome illness, evil spirits, or other [dangers] of worldly life, or simply fearing that in the next life you will have to suffer in the lower realms, this is called "Dharma as a protection from fear." [Such a motivation] is unsuitable for true entry into the path. And if you follow the teachings in order to receive worldly benefits in this life or the enjoyment of gods and people in the next, this is called "Dharma in anticipation of benefits." To enter the gate of Dharma in order to find the path to liberation, convinced that all samsara is meaningless, is to follow the path correctly, and this is called "entering the gate of Dharma."
2.2.2.5. [Follow virtuous friend]
If you are not guided by a virtuous friend, then following the Dharma is useless. From the Prajnaparamita Sanchayagatha:
Buddha Dharma rests on a virtuous friend -
Thus said the Buddha, who possessed the best of all the highest virtues.
Since the Buddha's teachings are limitless and the lineages of oral transmission are innumerable, in fact the knowledge that can be acquired is infinite. Without the secret instructions of a teacher, you cannot learn how to put the essence of all the teachings into practice.
When Atisha arrived in Tibet, his three disciples - Ku, Nog and Drom - asked:
- To achieve Buddhahood, what is more important: to follow the main instructions of Kangyur and Tengyur or the instructions of a guru?
“Guru's instructions are much more important,” Atisha replied.
- Why?
“Even if you are able to recite the Tripitaka by heart and expound the entire Abhidharma, you will deviate from the path of Dharma if you have not received instructions for practice from a teacher.
If we take all the instructions of the teacher in aggregate, what is the main thing: to observe the three moral commandments or to do good in deed, word and thought? they continued to ask.
“All this will not be of much use,” said Atisha.
- Why?!
- If you keep the three vows and perform purification practices, but do not turn your mind away from the three worlds of samsara, then even such actions will serve as a reason for returning to samsara. If you do good deeds day and night with all three gates, but do not know how to dedicate these merit to attaining Buddhahood, then any unkind thought can easily destroy the entire store of merit. Even if you are a monk who is versed in the teachings and skilled in meditation, but you have not turned your mind away from the eight
worldly dharmas, then whatever you do will be directed towards worldly goals, and not towards future liberation.
Thus it is very important to have a guru, a virtuous friend.
2.2.3. [Sixteen Inauspicious Conditions]
So, if you find in your life the presence of eight freedoms and ten gifts - eighteen freedoms and gifts in total - you can consider that you have a full-fledged human life.
In addition, the great Omniscient Dharmaraja [Longchenpa] in his book The Wish-Fulfilling Treasury mentions other unfavorable conditions that prevent one from practicing the Dharma. They are subdivided into eight external, transient adverse circumstances and eight adverse states of the biased mind. It is very important to be free from these factors as well.
From "The Treasury That Grants Wish":
[be under the influence of] the five poisons;
to be ignorant and stupid;
be exposed to harmful influences;
be lazy;
[subject to] the onslaught of the ocean of bad karma;
to be at the mercy of other people;
[use the Dharma as] protection from dangers;
pretending to be interested in the Dharma.
These are the eight outer transient adverse circumstances.
As well as:
to be entangled in the lasso [affection];
be misbehaving;
not regret samsara;
not have the slightest faith;
rejoice in evil deeds;
not interested in Dharma;
not keeping vows;
violate samaya.
These are the eight unfavorable states of the partial mind.
2.2.3.1. [Eight Outer, Transient Adverse Circumstances]
Those who are strongly influenced by the defilements, the five poisons, such as hatred of enemies and love of relatives, may from time to time feel the desire to properly practice the true Dharma. But since the five poisons that affect the mind are very strong, these people are mostly under their control. Therefore, they are unable to truly practice the Dharma.
Those who are extremely ignorant and devoid of even the slightest glimpse of intelligence will not be able to understand even the slightest degree of the meaning of the Dharma. Even if they accept the Dharma, they will not get the opportunity to listen to it, think about it and meditate.
If you fall into error, taking as a teacher someone who follows perverted views and practices, you may be led to the wrong path, making you an opponent of the holy Dharma.
If you want to study the Dharma, but are too lazy and completely lacking in diligence, you will fall victim to your habits and, constantly postponing the practice, you will not be able to do it.
If one diligently follows the Dharma, but internal obstacles and negative karma hinder the growth of [spiritual] knowledge, this may entail the loss of faith in the Dharma. [Being] under the onslaught of the ocean of negative karma, you will not understand that this is a consequence of your own actions.
People who are completely dependent on others will not be able to follow the Dharma even if they want to if they are not allowed to.
If one accepts the Dharma in order to earn food and clothing, or for fear of harm that other people may cause, then a true understanding of the Dharma will not arise. Old habits will force you to do things that are far from the Dharma.
If you use the external attributes of the Dharma to increase wealth, honor and fame, then you are just a cheater. You may appear pious, but deep down you are only interested in this life, and therefore you will not enter the path to liberation.
These eight external transient conditions are unfavorable for Dharma practice.
2.2.3.2. [Eight Unfavorable Conditions of the Partial Mind]
If you have a deep attachment to life: to wealth, children, relatives, etc., you are so absorbed in the efforts associated with all this that you do not have time to practice the Dharma.
If, because of bad inclinations, there is not a drop of goodness in you, you will not be able to move forward. It was not for nothing that the great teachers of the past said: "You can improve the mental abilities of a student, but not his nature." Even a worthy, virtuous teacher will find it difficult to direct you to an exalted path.
If you are not afraid of explaining why the lower worlds [in particular] and samsara [in general] are bad, or what suffering is in this life, the determination to be free from samsara will never arise in you - the reason for coming to the Dharma.
If you do not have the slightest faith in the true Dharma and in the guru, the gates of the teaching will remain closed and you will not be able to enter the path of liberation.
If you indulge in bad habits and therefore cannot control the actions of your body, speech and mind, you will lose your exalted qualities and turn away from the Dharma.
If you do not see the value in virtues and the Dharma, [then you are no more interested in them than] a dog in grass. Since you do not take any pleasure in following the Dharma, knowledge will not germinate in you.
If you became a follower of the common vehicles, and then began to act contrary to the thoughts of enlightenment and vows, you have only one way - to the lower worlds, where unfavorable circumstances inevitably await you.
If you become a follower of the vehicle of the Secret Mantra, and then break samaya in relation to your teacher and godbrothers, it is destructive for him and for others, and also deprives you of the opportunity to gain siddhis.
These are the eight inauspicious states of the partial mind that lead away from the Dharma, or, in other words, "blow out the lamp of liberation."
If you do not carefully check whether you have these sixteen inauspicious conditions inherent in the age of degeneration, you can only appear to be the owner of freedoms and gifts and a seeker of the Dharma. Rulers on thrones, important lamas under canopies surrounded by followers, recluses in meditation cells, wandering yogis - all those who consider themselves great are influenced by the causes of these unfavorable conditions. That is why, although they pretend to practice the Dharma, they fail to follow the true path.
Therefore, do not rush to chase after the outward manifestations of the Dharma, but first carefully check yourself to see if you have all these twenty-four types of freedoms and gifts. If they are, be happy and think: “Now you need not to waste these freedoms and talents, which are so difficult to acquire; one should make every effort to practice the true sublime Dharma.” Think so from the bottom of your heart, over and over again. If you lack them, do everything to get them. It is necessary to make it a rule to always carefully consider whether you have these qualities - freedoms and talents. If you don't do this test and you lack even one of them, you will miss the opportunity to practice the Dharma to the fullest.
Even for worldly people, it takes a confluence of many circumstances to satisfy the insignificant current needs. And you, in order to follow the Dharma that leads to the achievement of the highest goal, do not you need a confluence of equally numerous interdependent circumstances? Imagine a traveler who is about to make salted tea for himself. To brew such tea, many circumstances are needed: a pot, water, fuel, fire. Take at least the fire. It cannot be bred without many additional contributing circumstances: a piece of iron, flint, tinder, a pair of hands, etc. If there is not, say, tinder among them, the presence of the rest will not bring the slightest result and the dream of drinking tea will have to part. In the same way, the absence of a single kind of freedoms and gifts fundamentally excludes the possibility of practicing the Dharma. Therefore, if you properly understand yourself, you are unlikely to discover all eighteen aspects of freedoms and gifts.
All ten gifts are even rarer than the eight kinds of freedoms. Suppose you were born as a human being, in the center of spiritual life, with perfect sense organs, but if you lead an unworthy lifestyle and do not believe in the Dharma, then you have only three gifts [out of five]. Even if you acquire one of the missing factors, there will only be four. Of these [five gifts], the most difficult to acquire is the gift of a worthy way of life. If you commit bad deeds with all three gates and do everything only for worldly life, then even being reputed to be a respected person, scientist, etc., you, in fact, lead an unworthy lifestyle.
Of the five gifts, depending on circumstances, you may have the presence of the Buddha, his preaching, and the availability of the teachings, but if you do not follow the Dharma, then you have only three gifts. Even if you undertake to follow the Dharma, but only study it or listen to it, this does not mean that you have entered the Dharma. To embark on the path of liberation, it is necessary to have a genuine desire to leave samsara, realizing that it is completely meaningless.
To follow the Mahayana path, one must have genuine, not feigned, bodhichitta. If you do not have at least a grain of sincere, strong faith in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha and are not ready to maintain this faith even in death throes, you cannot consider yourself a follower of the Dharma only on the basis that you read prayers and wear a yellow robe. Thus, for [self]testing, it is very important to correctly understand the exact meaning of each of the types of freedoms and gifts.
2.3. Reflection on examples showing how difficult it is to acquire [a human body]
Buddha said:
To acquire a human body is even more difficult than for a turtle living at the bottom of a raging [ocean] to stick its neck into a yoke [floating] on its surface.
Imagine that all the great oceans of the three worlds have merged into one, and a yoke floats on its surface - a piece of wood with a hole in the middle, which is put on the necks of bulls when the field is plowed. This yoke is constantly carried along the waves in all directions. At the bottom of the ocean lives a blind turtle that rises to the surface once every hundred years. It is very difficult to imagine that [the tortoise and the yoke] would meet. An inanimate yoke has no intelligence to look for a turtle. The blind tortoise has no eyes to look for the yoke. They would have a chance to meet if the yoke remained in place, but it does not stop even for a moment. In the same way, the turtle would have a chance to meet [with the yoke], if he rises to the surface every now and then, but he rises to the surface only once every hundred years.
Although it is very difficult to imagine that the tortoise and the yoke would meet, the possibility cannot be ruled out that the tortoise accidentally sticks its head into the yoke. However, the sutras say that it is even more difficult to attain human rebirth, endowed with freedoms and gifts.
Nagarjuna explains it this way:
It is easier for a turtle to get [head] into a wooden yoke worn along
waves of the great ocean,
Than [a being] be born as an animal,
And being a human is even more difficult.
Therefore, O Lord of People,
Practice the sublime Dharma so that its fruit ripens for you.
Such instructions he gave to King Surabhibhadra. And Shantideva said:
It's just as hard to be born as a human
How does a turtle get his head into the hole in the yoke,
Carried on the waves of the great ocean.
The Mahaparinirvana Sutra mentions other examples of low probability: throwing a handful of dry peas against a smooth wall so that at least one pea sticks to it; pour a bunch of beans on the point of a vertically standing needle so that at least one bean [remains] at the end of it, etc. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with these comparisons and understand them.
2.4. Thinking about the Negligible Probability of [Acquiring a Human Body]
Considering the diversity and multiplicity of living beings, it is almost unbelievable to have a human body. The number of beings in hell is as great as [the number of] stars in the night sky. Compared to it, the number of pretas is so small that it is comparable to the number of stars that are visible in the sky during the day. If we say that there are as many rushing stars as there are stars at night, then there are as few animals as there are stars during the day. If we say that there are as many animals as there are stars at night, then there are few beings in the higher blissful worlds, as there are stars during the day.
It is also said that there are as many hell beings as there are dust particles in a large continent; pret--how many grains of sand are in the river Ganges; animals - how many grains are in a vat of beer malt; asur - how many snowflakes are in a blizzard; gods and people - just how many particles of dirt under the nail.
Although it is rare luck to acquire a body in the higher worlds, it is even rarer to acquire a human body endowed with freedoms and gifts. If in the summer we lift a clod of earth, we will see many living beings in it. In humans, no genus is as numerous as the population of one anthill. So people are clearly [few] compared to animals. In addition, among the people - including those who live in the outlying areas where they have no idea about the teachings - very few people are born in areas where the Dharma flourishes. Even fewer of those who have freedoms and talents - their few. Taking this into account, you should be happy that you have the whole set of freedoms and gifts.
Therefore, if you have all the qualities of freedoms and gifts, you can now consider that you have a precious human body. If even one of these qualities is lacking, then although from a worldly point of view, you may be quite intelligent and educated, [from the point of view of the Dharma] you do not have a precious human rebirth. You can be called an ordinary person, a person only in name, an unhappy person, a person without a main thing, or someone who returns empty-handed. It's like not using a wish-granting jewel that fell into your hands, or returning empty-handed from Treasure Island.
It says:
Finding a jewel is nothing compared to finding a precious human body.
But don't you see how it is wasted by those who have no regret?
Getting a kingdom is nothing compared to gaining the true
guru. But can't you see he's being treated like an equal
those who have no faith and reverence?
Becoming a worldly ruler is nothing compared to taking bodhisattva vows.
But don't you see those who, without any compassion, throw them like a stone from a sling?
Attaining kingship is nothing compared to receiving Tantra empowerments. But don't you see how they are neglected by those who do not honor samayas?
Seeing the Buddha is nothing compared to seeing the original mind itself.
But do you not see those who carelessly allow their minds to suffer from delusion?
These freedoms and gifts are not acquired by chance or by mere luck. They are the fruit of two kinds of accumulations acquired over many kalpas.
Panchen Dragpa Gyaltsen said:
This human body, endowed with freedoms and gifts,
It is not acquired through the ingenuity of the mind:
It is the fruit of accumulated merit.
If, having received a human body, but at the same time, having no idea of the Dharma, you are completely engaged in non-virtuous deeds, this is even worse than being in the three lower realms.
Jetsun Milarepa said to [the hunter] Gonpo Dorje:
It is usually said that the human body, which has freedoms and
gifts, - a great jewel,
But when I see a person like you, it doesn't seem like such a value to me.
As Milarepa said, no one has a greater ability to plunge himself into the lower realms than man. Now you have the opportunity to do whatever you want. It says:
If you use the body for good, it is a ship of liberation.
If you use it for harm, it is a stone that carries you into samsara.
Our body is the servant of both good and evil.
(to be continued)
One of the best introductions to the basics of Tibetan Buddhism. This is the second Russian translation of the wonderful Nyingma lam-rim, much praised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who in 2005 in Dharamsala gave a public teaching on this text.
The literal translation of the title of the text is "From the mouth of the Samantabhadra teacher" (in Nyingma tantric practice, the teacher should be taken as Buddha Samantabhadra), but the translators preferred a slightly simplified interpretation. The first Russian translation was made from the English translation by Sonam Kazi in 1989 and published by the Uddiyana publishing house in St. Petersburg in 2004.
The proposed new Russian translation by Issa Sauber again relies on the English translation, but this time a new, refined one prepared by the well-known French translation group "Padmakara". Padmakara's edition not only corrected the inaccuracies of the previous English translation, but also provided it with extensive notes to help understand the text, as well as the necessary indexes.
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Words of my incomparable Teacher (12.55 mb)
Download from dfiles.ru Words of my incomparable Teacher (12.55 mb)
Video:
Título original: Journey to the Dzogchen Valley
Release year: 2006
Released: Russia
Quality: DVDRip
Video: DivX, ~ 1546 Kbps, ~ 512x388
Audio: MP3, ~ 32 Kbps
Duration: 01:30:47
Russian language
Files: 3 files
Total file size: 997 MB
About movie: In July 2004, a group of three from Russia made a long-awaited spiritual journey to the holy places of Tibet and China, together with Ranyak Patrulom Rinpoche. During the trip, this film was shot, which tells about the culture, sights and traditions of these places. Together with a group of pilgrims we will travel to the Dzogchen Valley. We will visit a festival that takes place in this valley once every 60 years. We will visit more than 10 monasteries and Buddhist centers, we will take part in the opening of the restored monastery and the Prema Tun center. We are accompanied on this pilgrimage by Dzogchen Buddhist Master Ranyak Patrul Rinpoche. His instructions and explanations will make our pilgrimage not only cognitive, but also spiritually rich.
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Translation from Tibetan: B. Erokhin. Editor: B.I. Zagumenov
388 pages, hardcover
The classic work of the patriarch of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism is one of the first encyclopedic reviews of the views and practices of Mahayana Buddhism and the Diamond Chariot, which served as a model for the creation of a number of such works. The book belongs to a class of literature detailing the stages of practitioners' progress on the path to achieving Buddhahood, as well as the key concepts of Buddhism. The high literary merit and philosophical depth of the book make it not only a desktop guide for every Buddhist practitioner, but also one of the most remarkable monuments of Buddhist literature.
Translation from English: Farida Malikova
216 pp., hardcover
This is one of the earliest Dzogchen texts, in which Manjushrimitra laid out the fundamentals of the teaching he received from Garab Dorje. The book includes another small text: "The Oral Instruction is a tantra about the practice of developing a state of pure and total presence."
Translation from English by Farida Malikov
192pp., hardcover
The second volume of The Light of Wisdom contains Padmasambhava's famous text Lamrim Yeshe Ningpo, as well as a commentary on it by Jamgon Kongtrul entitled "The Light of Wisdom" and notes on Jamyang Dragpa's commentary. The book contains in-depth explanations of the Buddhist Vajrayana, from the essence of initiation and tantric obligations to an explanation of the generation stage.
Volume 2 provides in-depth explanations of the Buddhist Vajrayana, from the essence of initiation and tantric obligations to an explanation of the generation stage. The root text of Lamrim Yeshe Ningpo-terma, discovered by the great terton Chokgyur Lingpa, incarnations of the great translator Vairocana, together constitute a complete treatise, embracing all the tantras, agamas, and upadeshi traditions of the ancient translations of the Nyingma school. Such a treatise is very rare to find in the past, present or future.
texts by PadmasambhavaTranslation from English: Farida Malikova
304 pp., hardcover
This book is a vivid example of the Tibetan genre of spiritual literature "namtar", a spiritual biography that tells about progress along the path of the Teaching and the achievement of complete liberation. Its main character is Yeshe Tsogyal, a close disciple and wife of Guru Padmasambhava. The life of the heroine fell on a key period in the history of Tibet, when Buddhism came there from India and began to spread.
