 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
||||||
Dharma Teachings
|
||||||
|
The Path of Wisdom
Lectures
given at Dhagpo Kagyu Ling in October 1997
What does it mean to take refuge? It means that from this particular moment onward and until we become enlightened, we seek refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Why do we need these three objects of refuge? In the Buddha, we establish a link to the qualities that have been attained by Buddha Shakyamuni. The Dharma is the Buddha's teachings that show us the way to connect to those qualities, so we take refuge in the Dharma. We need someone to teach us the Dharma, someone who is realized himself, meaning that he has successfully obtained the results of the path through his own practice. Such an individual person is then a qualified teacher. We therefore rely on these qualified teachers who are the extraordinary Sangha to impart their knowledge and methods to us. There are generally two kinds of Sangha: the ordinary and the extraordinary Sangha. It is essential for us to understand that it is the extraordinary Sangha in whom we seek refuge. The word Sangha means gathering. The extraordinary Sangha are the spiritual masters who have themselves achieved certain realizations through dharma practice as taught by the Buddha. They may not have the complete realization of a Buddha. But they have achieved certain qualities that they can now transmit to others. Historically, the extraordinary Sangha are the Bodhisattvas. On the other hand, the ordinary Sangha can refer to any community of spiritual teachers from whom we can obtain teachings. A gathering of Dharma practitioners can also be referred to as the Sangha. What does refuge mean? It means protection - protection from the wrong path, protection from the wrong ideas, and protection from committing negative actions. We start with this basic meaning of protection. Then later on, we will progressively acquire a broader and deeper understanding of refuge.
Having taken refuge, it is good to avoid always thinking only of ourselves to the exclusion of others. Instead, we adopt Bodhicitta, an altruistic motivation in all that we think, speak, and do. We are genuinely concerned for the suffering of all living beings and we wish only that they be liberated. Bodhicitta is not just an idea but it is very profound in and of itself. We begin by being slightly more open to others. Having an open mind will enable us to first think more for others, then to share more with others, and then to be more beneficial to others. This is a process that is learnt. When we can act with Bodhicitta, it means our practice is improving. We are improving and we find it easier to share everything beneficial with everyone. All Buddhist
teachings emphasize this one essential point, to generate the Bodhicitta
attitude, to have a more open mind. It does not matter that our mind is
not completely open or that we cannot do everything for others. The key
is to start with ourselves right here and now, and we try to connect with
our own inner capacity whatever its current level. We do what is within
our reach as much as possible. This is important. For example, when we
open ourselves a little bit, then there is a basic quality in us that
we can expand and improve. At the moment, due to our ignorance, we have
pride, greed, and other negative emotions. Under their influence, we tend
to want only to do the "big" things. But then, we realize that
we cannot and so we start to lose confidence in ourselves. It is therefore
important to understand that we are not required to be at a certain level
already. Rather, we do as much as we can according to our own capability.
This is what generating Bodhicitta means.
Guru Yoga is an effective Vajrayana practice. What does Vajrayana mean? In Buddhism, we talk of the three yanas: Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. This does not mean that there are actually three separate categories of practices. Rather, the distinctions are more reflective of the practitioner's personal attitude and individual capacity. Vajrayana means actually the understanding of the mind. It is not a course or a subject that you study in school for instance. There are no grades to pass. There is no beginning and there is no end. Some people can practise Vajrayana yet others find it difficult to understand. It depends on the individual capacity, propensity and personality. For those who are not inclined towards Vajrayana thinking that it does not suit them, it does not mean that their capacity is blocked. It just means that they may practise Vajrayana later on.
When we recite prayers, we try to adapt our minds to the meaning of the recited words. Before every teaching, we always say prayers. Individually, we pray to make wishes that will benefit ourselves and others, and to express what we wish to do. We pray to integrate our wishes within ourselves, to integrate them into our habit of mind. Praying is not for calming the mind. First, we pray and make wishes, then we listen to the teachings, then we practise what we have learnt. Then we act in accordance to our wishes. This is the process. Our actions are thus linked to our wishes in our prayers. This is why we emphasize that before we start something, we always pray sincerely.
The preliminaries are practices that include the contemplation on the Four Thoughts, and the special preliminaries known as the Ngondro practices. They enable us to do the main practice of meditation. But before we start on the preliminaries, we have to prepare ourselves. This may sound simple enough. But what does prepare mean? It means to listen, to reflect, and to integrate the teachings so as to understand the deeper meaning of dharma teachings and practice. For what are we preparing? The purpose of all practices based on the teachings of the Buddha is to reach our own mind and nothing more. When we have achieved this goal, we are said to be enlightened, or we have reached Buddhahood. These are just terms that may be at times confusing. Enlightenment cannot be fixed in these terms. We talk about enlightenment but for now, it is merely a projection of an idea. We are not really clear about it. Actually, enlightenment is a mind that is clear and stable, free from ignorance. This is the state of mind referred to as San Gye in Tibetan. San means completely clear, pure, free of all stains. Gye means knowledge in the fullest extent, or all encompassing knowledge. It is a state free from ignorance and preconceived, or fixed notions, but at the same time, mind is clear about mind itself. "listen, reflect, and integrate the teachings into practice" First, we have to listen to the teaching with an open mind, and we try to understand it. Then later, when we do our practice, we will have a slightly different expectation. This expectation does not block us. In fact, it directs us deeper into the meaning and understanding. It leads us into another kind of experience. How we apply the teachings is important. If you have already received some teachings and you are now practising, then you should continue to practise and to reflect deeper on the meaning. People who are just new to the teachings may find it difficult to understand. It may not really be what they are looking for. But whatever it is that they want, they will also need the Dharma. Take for example that we are looking to buy a house. We may not be concerned about a garden, or the lawn at the time of looking. We find the house we like and we move in. Once we are settled in, we start to think about additional things such as a nice garden, and so on. Some people go for teachings to look for solutions for their problems. Their focus is on how to get rid of them. While other people may want to be more clear and productive in their lives. In any case, they pick the parts of the teachings that suit them, or that they could use. They apply what they can in their own situation. But later on, they again find that something is missing! This is why it is important to have an open mind. Try not to limit our own vision. By doing more and more practice, by listening to more and more teachings, we begin, very slowly, to open ourselves. This will in turn strengthen our resolve that enlightenment is indeed very important to us. But in the beginning, most people do not have this wish for enlightenment. Therefore, the teachers who understand the inclination of the people try to include key points that are useful both for the short-term as well as for the long-term. Needless to say, it all depends on the practitioner. He has to integrate what he has learned through listening, practising, ever mindful that enlightenment is the ultimate goal, his long-term objective. It is a continuous and gradual process. It is not good to rely on the teaching when we have a problem only to forget about it after the problem passes. Always remember the process of listening, reflecting, and integrating the teachings into our practice. In this way, we prepare ourselves to progress to the preliminary practices. In our daily life, we will find that more and more we will act accordingly. As a result, our actions will benefit others as well as ourselves. "our goal is enlightenment" Many people come to receive teachings, but they are not quite sure what it is they are looking for. They may wish to gain an understanding of life for instance. But, it is much better to resolve that the enlightened state of mind is our goal; then between now and until we are enlightened, all our actions will be directed at this goal. As always, when we practise, there will be some result. The result benefits us and our minds will become clearer. For instance, one result is that we will realize how important the ultimate goal really is to us, we will then be more committed. We will want to start the preliminary practices. For now, we simply try to keep a more open mind. This will bring us more understanding that in turn will benefit others and ourselves. Gradually, we will become clearer about ourselves. "keep an open mind" Up until now, we are used to our own thinking, thinking for ourselves and for our own benefit. This comes easy to all of us. But when we are asked to broaden our current thinking, we find that our minds are very limited with respect to our attitudes and ideas. When we want something, we push to achieve the result. We move on, pushing to achieve result one after another. We have been like this all along. But to achieve enlightenment, or to achieve a clear mind is quite different. It is not just one fixed result that we can obtain. We say that the Path (to enlightenment) encompasses many qualities and extensive knowledge. Each of us individually has to discover for oneself a clear understanding of one's existence and of this world. In the meantime, we need to maintain an open mind, a broad vision, and not to lose track of the ultimate goal. "a clear mind" A clear mind is a mind without veils and without ignorance. The adjective clear does not mean clear as in light. It can be misunderstood. To clear our mind of veils does not mean to reject all the nice things, for example. There is no need to reject the positive feelings, the nice appearances, etc. They are a part of normal living, a good way of living, but they are not our main goal in life. Clarity of mind will come on its own. Everything will clear by itself. This is the meaning of San Gye. This explanation is limited by words. The deeper meaning of San Gye has to be seen or experienced for oneself. But first we prepare by listening to the teachings. There are a lot of explanations that we can receive from teachers or we can read them in the written text. This is referred to as listening to the teachings. Next, we need to focus on our goal. This is what practising the teaching means. We always try to be clear in mind. The opposite is to be unclear which means being connected with ignorance. We may think we are seeing clearly when in fact the seeing is not right. This is one form of ignorance. Ignorance does not mean stupid. It means that there is no clear understanding as opposed to San Gye. In San Gye, there is no blockage. We cannot see that the earth is round, for instance, so we say that our vision is blocked. We can only see from here until the wall. We cannot see beyond the wall, it blocks our view. When the mind is clear, there is nothing to block our view. There is no ignorance. There are no mental veils. Mind is clear and it sees limitlessly. This is often very difficult for us to relate to because right now, we are limited by this physical body, by this physical world. But mind's nature is without blockage. We keep emphasizing this clarity aspect of mind because we have to become familiar with it. Otherwise, in the next moment, clarity is forgotten and we are back in our usual ways.
There are some Tibetan terms that are very useful for us to understand. Even though we may not fully understand them now but it is good to keep them in mind and to make a connection. For example, enlightenment is often described as the realization of mind. To achieve this goal, the main meditation that we do is called Mahamudra or Cha Gya Chen Po in Tibetan. The term, Mahamudra, is difficult to translate into English because there is no such term for it. The word, Mahamudra, is still a term. The understanding of what it really means will come to us through our own action and efforts. The understanding will come through experience. Experience does not mean only the practitioner's experience, but also the experience of the masters who have realized the results of the meditation. These masters are the holders of the teachings and methods and they are quite capable to transmit them to others. "Dun ngaak" Then there is dun ngaak, which means, literally, clarity. In the context of the relationship between the teacher and the disciple, dun ngaak points to a clear connection, a feeling in the disciple based upon genuine trust, free of doubts and negativities with respect to the dharma practice. The disciple relies on the teacher to give him the explanation of the meaning of the teachings or practice. There are many examples of dun ngaak in the historical biographies of Marpa, Milarepa, and the Karmapas, who are all masters within the Kagyu tradition. Conventional biographies of famous figures like Napoleon give us some ideas of past events with information such as the time, the place and the descriptions of past events. But contained within the life history of the great masters like Saraha, Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, Milarepa, or the first Karmapa, is a treasury of Dharma transmissions based on Dun ngaak. Dun ngaak here means that in order for a certain result to take place, certain conditions and requirements must be present. For example, to cure an illness, the appropriate medicine must be taken. Dun ngaak is similar to this. When we lack understanding, when we need an explanation, an instruction, or when we need to know what to do, dun ngaak gives us the answer. It is important for a practitioner to know this so that when he reads the biography of Milarepa, for instance, he will recognize and will pick up the meanings relevant to the practice. Otherwise, reading the biographies as history would not help us at all. The clear transmission from teacher to disciple, or Dun ngaak, may be better illustrated by the following example of a story from the Life of Naropa: " Naropa was a great pandita of Buddhism at the Nalanda University in India. A Pandita is a scholar of the highest rank. But still Naropa was looking for more teachings. This shows us that indeed there is no highest but that learning is limitless. Naropa knew he needed a great instructor. He had heard of Tilopa and felt that he must look for him. This was Naropa's own understanding, and of course, it is not applicable to everyone. But for Naropa, Tilopa was not so easy to find. Tilopa would hide himself quite well when he did not wish to be found. This was done for a very good reason. Tilopa wanted to make Naropa really examine himself to reach the right understanding. Now the word, "hide" may not be the precise description of what Tilopa did. To disguise himself, Tilopa emanated in the form of a wounded dog. Many worms crawled in its wound while lying on the side of the road. When Naropa saw the dog, he did not pay it any attention. He was so preoccupied with finding Tilopa that he had no time to tend to the dog. Now Naropa knew the concept of compassion, he knew the suffering, yet, he left the dog unattended. He hurried along in his own self-interest. Subsequently, Tilopa appeared to Naropa and said, "If you are not completely committed due to the suffering of beings, if you are not fully committed to compassion, then you will not find the Lama." Not finding the lama means that you are not connected to realization. From this incident, Naropa understood that he had not yet truly engaged in Bodhicitta (compassion). Without a genuine motivation in Bodhicitta, he would not gain any realization. So we say that he understood this point through "Dun ngaak". " It is very important to know Dun ngaak if you are a full-time practitioner, a research dharma student, or if you are engaged in the preliminary practices. Only then can you recognize it when the time comes. Dun ngaak also plays an important part in the transmission of the Mahamudra teachings and other similar teachings. This type of transmission is not exclusive to one tradition, or one system, or one lineage. Rather, its purpose is to clarify whatever it is that we do not understand. Like Naropa, we have to be prepared or qualified to receive the transmission. Otherwise, even if Buddha were here, we would still not achieve the realization. Naropa immediately realized the lesson through dun ngaak, not just once, but at twelve different occasions. The details are very precise and they are all recounted in his biography. This kind of biography is very important. The dun ngaak teachings contained therein are vast and unlimited. The means of approach are also unlimited to understand the varying degrees of depth. The dun ngaak transmissions are also considered a part of the oral instructions. The oral instructions are all about how to give meaning, point by point. "djin lab" Another type of oral instruction is called "djin lab" in Tibetan. There is no exact translation for this term. It is a little bit like receiving blessing through prayer or through the practice of Guru Yoga. The meaning is like this: whenever we do not understand something in our practice, djin lab is there to help us understand. For example, when we say mind, it is not so easy to know what we mean by it. But everybody talks about mind, the Buddha nature. We hear the word, and we guess at its meaning. We hear about the qualities of the Buddha and immediately we feel something though we may not understand. In order to understand, we do the practices such as reciting the sadhanas (practice texts), meditating, and doing the different practices. We say that the qualities of the Lama enter our mind. This means that his realization, his understanding of the mind, his Buddha nature, connects to our own mind. It is djin lab that enables this connection. On the surface, it may look as if it is a wish or prayer. In actuality, we are already using the methods and teachings. Somehow, certain words and explanations will start to make sense to us. The understanding is not ours to create. It is how djin lab works. It is very difficult to show. By knowing that this kind of effect can take place, then, when we experience it ourselves, we will understand it as such. We are made aware of dun ngaak and djin lab to help us understand the practices and the teachings. For example, reading the story about Naropa without the awareness of dun ngaak reduces it to just a story. It is not useful to us when we have missed the meaning. The same applies to djin lab. In the practices of Guru Yoga and Chenrezig, there is communication. Normally, communication means word communication. But in Vajrayana practices, the visualization and receiving the essence of the yidam is djin lab. Though it is important for us to know, it does not mean that we should/could immediately use it. We should instead take this information and try to see for ourselves. The Songs of Milarepa contain a lot of these points. They are clearly presented and easy to understand. In terms of results they could be temporary, or ultimate. For example, we all say we need blessing but what is our understanding of its meaning. The ultimate meaning of blessing is the connection to the special qualities within our practice. It is like sitting in a dark room and you want to let the sunlight in. But if you do not know how to open the curtains, the sunlight cannot get in. When we understand the terms such as dun ngaak, djin lab, or blessings, then our understanding of our practice will become clearer. Otherwise, our expectations of the results of the practices will not be quite right. Of course, some results are always there when we pray, or when we recite the mantras. But the main result is our becoming closer to the qualities that the practices are supposed to bring out. For example, the real meaning of the short and simple sadhana practice of Chenrezig is to become like Chenrezig. The result is that we become free of our ignorance, we gain the capability of Chenrezig, and we can act like Chenrezig. This is real and not some kind of misinformation. For now, we may not have this wish to be Chenrezig. Individually, each of us may have different reasons for doing the practice. Regardless, we still gain benefit from our efforts; but if we engender the proper attitude, then the result is ever stronger.
When we do Vajrayana practice, we need to know some basic terms as explained. But given the instructions, the understanding can still be rather delicate. We don't know exactly the precise meaning. The terms may strike us as somewhat exciting and our minds attach to them. Consequently, we lose track of the original meaning. The link or connection in Vajrayana practice cannot be established by just following the instructions. The meaning goes deeper than the words in the instructions. It is difficult to catch the meaning immediately. It is unlike an instruction in a daily life situation such as how to connect a piece of electronic equipment where we can simply follow the instructions. Vajrayana teachings are much more than theories, and explanations. Underlying the methods and instructions is the line of transmissions that we call lineage. Implicit in the lineage is also the transmission of djin lab and blessings. With Vajrayana practice, it is customary to find a teacher. The teacher initiates you to a particular practice. He achieves this in three ways. He gives you the explanations and the instructions. He gives you the djin lab or the blessings to do the practice. Then, there is menlaak. Menlaak means that the teacher must have had understood the teachings and had practised them through the proper method until he became realized. This qualifies him to be able to share the methods and experiences with others. Moreover, he is the one who connects you to the potential to do the practice. This enables you to understand and to communicate with your own inner potential. The three conditions of instructions, djin lab, and menlaak have to come together to enable you to recognize the Buddha nature. Then through the practice, a more precise understanding will arise in the disciple. The words sound simple enough. But to get the real understanding is quite different. Whether or not we can achieve some result in our practice depends on our own individual fundamental qualities. No one can see these qualities in another. Everyone has some form of potential due to past preparations or past accumulations in previous lifetimes. Sometimes our past accumulations may ripen in this lifetime. This explains why for some people, practice comes very easily while it proves quite difficult for others. This is why the Buddha taught us not to judge others or situations as good or bad, right or wrong. We don't know.
The fundamental capacity varies between individuals but it is developed gradually through practice. It cannot be forced or pushed. It has to develop spontaneously. Spontaneity depends on whether we see the meaning of the teachings. When we get the exact meaning, spontaneity is right there. Otherwise, it is difficult to understand. It is like when you are sick and the doctor tells you to eat this and not that. But sometimes, you yourself know precisely which food to avoid. You really understand your own situation. We then say you know spontaneously by yourself. It is very simple when we get the exact meaning. When we think of enlightenment, we may feel that it is so far away or that it is going to take a long time. But sometimes, it is really not that impossible when all the conditions are right. We should carry on with the practice without analyzing it too much. As explained earlier, due to the blessings, even when we don't have a precise understanding, some result is inevitably there. There are many practices such as Chenrezig, Green Tara, Dorje Sempa, and Sengye Menla. They all are important regular practices that we can do for different reasons. The effect of each practice is twofold. One, it affords us temporary help specific to our current situation. Second, it enables us to discover our own inner potential whereby we will realize our own Buddha nature. For example, whenever we are not very well, or when we are in difficult times, or when we are not very clear, then the practice of Tara can give us whatever it is that we need accordingly. On the other hand, we do Dorje Sempa to clear up and to purify negativity. The Chenrezig practice is aimed at benefiting others. The result is that we are helpful to others quite naturally. For each practice, the result is equally there regardless of whether we do a short or a long sadhana (practice text).
"mo-gue" There is a condition that we need within ourselves when we receive the teachings. In Tibetan, it is called mo-gue. It is a very difficult term to translate. It means, based on a trust and a deep respect for the enlightened qualities, we develop in ourselves a deep appreciation and recognition of their importance. As a result, we feel that we want to follow the practice and that we can do it. Mo-gue gives us a proper perspective enabling us to go deeper into the meaning without getting stuck. To help us understand mo-gue better, let us take for example, confidence and devotion. Our confidence and devotion towards the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha are very important while we are on the path of practice. In a way, we could see mo-gue as devotion and confidence. In the biography of Milarepa, the meaning of devotion and confidence is very precise and evident. Milarepa's perseverance was based on his deep devotion to Marpa that never faltered. That is mo-gue. It is the main cause for Milarepa's realization, his genuine devotion to his teacher, Marpa. "daepa" Another word that is similar to mo-gue is daepa, which means faith. But daepa is not blind faith. It requires real understanding in what we are doing so that we can really believe in what we do. It is more than just because someone told us so, or we think that it is special so we just go along with it. Daepa is when we have done the study and the research so that we see by ourselves and we understand. We are then really focused and committed. "damtsik" Another term is damtsik. Damtsik is samaya, it means to have the right connection to the essence of our own mind. It means that when we act properly, good results are inevitable. When we make mistakes, our path will be blocked. How we judge and act is directly related to our own mind so we want to be careful. As we study more and more, our understanding of mind will improve. To summarize, in Vajrayana practice, mo-gue, daepa, and damtsik are the main conditions that facilitate a deeper understanding of our own mind. The depth of knowledge is unlimited so we continue to work with our inner understanding through our practice, while listening to the teachings, and during our waking hours. In this way, the result will come much easier. We often say "inseparable" quality. It means, inseparable from our own mind, it is our own mind. Nothing is created. It is important for you to do the practice. By gradually clearing up your own questions and doubts, you will reach a personal experience and development.
The conditions, or states of our mind have far greater reach and effect than our actions. In general, we control our actions rather than our mind. When we don't like someone, we don't want to show it. We are afraid that it will spoil our image of being nice. But inside, we are feeling our dislike for the contact. We try to be nice because we don't want to break up the friendship. Unconsciously, we go on like this. We need to understand our own mind rather than just trying to control our actions. Sometimes, we think like this: "I cannot go"; or "I don't like it"; "…but I don't want to give in more than this." These thoughts sometimes come to us then damtsik is no longer there. This we should know very clearly. Because damtsik is a realization of mind that is linked to our understanding of mind. This is why in the Vajrayana, pure vision is emphasized which is in itself a state of mind. It is not something artificial that someone told us about. It comes from our own basic fundamental nature. It is a part of our consciousness. If we want to realize pure vision, then we need to receive teachings, to learn to see clearly, and to meditate. We have to develop ourselves, our actions are not all that important in and of themselves. The problem is the blockages in our mind. We cannot sort of block them out to avoid the damage. We have to see and understand how they are related to our mind.
We need to understand the emotions in ourselves as well as in others. They are the conditions of mind. We do not have to cut them off, nor to develop them. When we do understand the emotions, then everything will become simpler - our relationship with people and with our teachers, and how we relate to the teachings. The converse is also true. When we don't understand our emotions, then everything becomes complicated. We are judgmental of ourselves as well as others. This is why the teachings always emphasize looking at our own mind. All the meditation teachings come to this point. When we truly understand our mind, we will see things as they are. Right now, a toothache is real and not an illusion to us. But when we see the real nature of mind then we will see the pain as illusory. This is an important point. There are many concepts surrounding the emotions. It is easy to talk about them and somehow they feel very heavy to us. By heavy I mean the concepts that we ourselves have built up around them. We are ever trying to keep the good feelings and to be rid of the bad ones. This is normal and there is nothing wrong with it. But the negative thoughts cannot be driven away because they are our own mind. "how to work with the emotions" The question is what can we do? Everybody has experienced negative emotions: anger, jealousy, unhappiness, and many others. We think that if only we could get rid of them we will be happy. This is wrong. Basically, we need to look at the cause of these negative emotions, the cause of anger, the cause of jealousy, the cause of attachment, the cause of pride, the cause of expectation. The emotions are our mind. Therefore the only solution is to realize the true nature of mind. We will then see how the negative emotions do not make sense and they will dissolve on their own. The process is of course not easy and it takes a long time. However, we should not be discouraged. The teachings advise us always to be aware of all situations and their related conditions, to do the practice of looking at our mind, how our mind is oriented. We have desires and expectations. When they are not satisfied, our negative emotions come up. This is always the case. We can understand this basic condition in ourselves as well as in others. This is very important. Simply look without trying to get rid of anything. This is how we work with the emotions in the beginning. In general, an agitated mind or a mind without peace is the cause of emotions. We all know that we have so accustomed ourselves to our emotional process that it is difficult for us to separate ourselves from it and see it for what it is. Whenever our mind is in some kind of discomfort such as anger, sadness, or is slightly depressed, it can serve us well as practice material. This means that immediately we can use the circumstances of the distressed mind to verify the teachings. Rather than being caught up in the concepts and words of the teachings, we try to experience spontaneously their actual meaning in our mind. In the beginning, the weaker emotions may prove easier for us to explore and to examine. For example, when we are a little unhappy, we try to see how our mind is linked to the emotion. See the cause of the unhappiness. Is it caused by pride, attachment, ignorance, or hatred? Try to see more clearly. But then because of our habitual tendencies, we are always looking for reasons, or excuses. What is required of us is complete honesty. It is easy to say that I am unhappy because of this or because of that. But if we are truthful and really apply ourselves to knowing the truth we will gain some insight. In Tibetan, we say dengpa. Dengpa means the truth without any excuse or compromise. Dengpa points to the real situation of our mind. Our mind tends to sidetrack from the truth so it is a little bit tricky to steer straight in a situation and to see it head on. Simply look without added feelings. We tend to look for something important. "I need this, or I have to do that." There is always the desire for some objective there. To look without any conditions attached is new to us. We have to learn how to do it. As we look, we avoid trying to get rid of something or to achieve a better result. We should have neither expectations nor wanting any improvement. Take for example, you go for a walk, and you fall. Look at the cause of your fall. Is it because of your shoes, the road, or the way you walked? You do this without any attitude or any preconceived ideas. Just look naturally and leave it. In a similar way we deal with the distractions in our minds. The point is not to try to solve our problem but to see the condition in our mind that brought the problem there in the first place. This will give us a clear answer. It will come on its own. This is actually quite difficult to do. But if we keep trying to look as described, eventually everything will become clearer to us. Very slowly, we will gain yairpa. Yairpa is like certainty. It means that we have a very clear understanding so that we can then work on ourselves. This may sound simple but when we are actually attempting it, it can be confusing. While we are here in this human experience, we are subject to our emotional states and conditions. We have to work with them. We do the practice and try to follow the instructions. "keep a little distance from the conditions and see" The teachings tell us the true nature of our mind and of all things. We may intellectually understand this true nature. But dengpa has to be experienced. Dengpa as "truth" applies to the truth of our mind, the truth of all conditions. We need to see and realize this true nature for ourselves. No action is required. We try to see the nature of mind and the nature of things. We do it not because somebody told us to do so. That would be naïve. Yet, we see without any doubt. Take the example of our whole situation here in samsara, there is happiness and there is sadness. While we seek happiness in the various ways, we also take the time to do the practice. We try to have a peaceful and clear mind. When we can see what we are doing, then not only are we completely involved in the doing but at the same time our mind is also clear about what it is that we are doing. We watch ourselves. We watch ourselves while we practice, while we work, during difficult times, during times of enjoyment, all the time. We try to separate a little, our own nature from the normal functions in life. To separate means to be able to look at ourselves in a moment of great enjoyment, or in a moment of deep sadness. We may see that things do not make that much sense. It is like watching a movie. Even if we are sad, we understand that sadness is still all right. This may sound a bit strange yet this is a very important point. For now, this is very difficult to understand but nevertheless, we keep it as useful information for later on. In our attempt to see the nature of something, we may get confused so then we seek clarification from the teachings. Normally, when we are confused about something, that something is separate from us. And we seek an explanation about how it works. But here, we just want to see it for what it is. For example, we generally think of ourselves as very important. This is why we are here in our individual life situations. Say you have broken your arm and it is very painful. But if you look, you will see that you identify your arm as you. Another way would be to see your arm as being there separately from your mind. Then if the pain in the arm is an illusion, you can just leave it. But right now, even if you tell yourself the pain is illusory you cannot leave it. You have to attend to the wound. But the point is to separate the mind and the arm. If your mind is a little bit separate from the arm, then the suffering also becomes different. You know you broke your arm. You know the cause and the surrounding circumstances. Your mind is clearer and the pain is experienced differently. Your understanding of the mind is also different. But without this kind of check in place, your mind and the pain are stuck together. Then there is a lot of suffering and confusion right there. So these are the two ways of looking at the same happening. The broken arm is just one example. We can expand the example to include all outside phenomena as well as all our inner responses, feelings, and emotions - how we link them to ourselves and to our mind. Otherwise, there can never be any contact. Therefore, we should try to maintain a bit of distance between our mind and anything that is related to time and action. We should not have an attitude like nothing matters. We are here in samsara so we have to be careful in everything we do. At the same time, try to see where we are, how we are involved, how our emotions are and their causes. Slowly and gradually, we will get the point of the teachings and our understanding will grow. "nothing to reject, nothing to gain, just be aware" We are in the habit of being discriminating given any situation. But the discrimination has to be accurate. For example, in daily life when things are going fine, we are involved and doing things. But not everything is useful so we avoid wasting time. The teachings emphasize this point. However, we are inevitably connected to our individual habits, our background and culture. They form the relative conditions that accompany our state of mind. Nevertheless, we could still try to distance ourselves from them. We look at these conditions. We know that they are not separate from us. At the same time, we don't have to be distracted by them either. There is nothing to reject, nothing to gain. We live our lives in the same way. We accept whatever the situation we are in and try to be aware of our mind. This is also how we start to meditate. Meditation means that we are not distracted by our own thoughts. We are aware by ourselves. For now, it is very difficult not to be distracted in our daily life. Our thoughts are very strong at the moment. However, we should still try to be aware whenever we can. We should try to see a little bit differently than what we have been used to. This watchful state we can apply in all situations without pressure, without forcing ourselves to do so - during the practice, during the teachings, during daily life. Simply watch without any pre-conceived notions. This way we can see clearer. If we cannot do it constantly, we can at least do it from time to time. In time, it will become easier and easier. We have talked about the preliminaries, about how important it is to have the proper preparation for the practice. It is simply this, to see clearly. It is to practise this way of looking, to really experience it for ourselves. Often we find that we have no time to do this kind of seeing, no time to think. We don't know what to do, or we are not keen or motivated enough to do it. There is too much information out there and we cannot decide which is the best route, the best method for us. But it is really not all that confusing. It is because we are not clear in our mind that we do not know what to do.
Reproduced
here with kind permission. |
||||||
|
|
|
|
