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Preparing for Meditation

explanation of the actual instructions of the stages of the path to enlightenment

This explanation is in two parts:

1 How to rely upon a Spiritual Guide, the root of spiritual paths

2 How to take the essence of our human life

how to rely upon a spiritual guide, the root of spiritual paths

This has two parts:

1 How to train the mind during the meditation session

2 How to train the mind during the meditation break

The instructions for each of the stages of the path are divided into these two parts. The meditation session is the time we spend in formal meditation on Lamrim and the meditation break is all the rest of our time spent engaging in various activities. The instructions provide guidance for all times so that we can be putting them into practice every moment of our lives. Since most of our time is spent out of meditation it is important to put effort into training our mind while we are involved in work and other activities, just as we put effort into training our mind during our meditation sessions. If we practise continuously, transforming all that we do into the spiritual path, our meditations will become more successful and our whole life will become meaningful.

how to train the mind during the meditation session

All Lamrim meditations have three stages:

1 Preparing for meditation

2 The actual meditation

3 Concluding the meditation

The following sections will explain how to prepare for a meditation session, how to do an actual meditation and how to conclude the meditation session. This explanation will be given by taking as our example the actual meditation on relying upon a Spiritual Guide, the first Lamrim meditation. Since the first stage, preparing for meditation, and the third stage, concluding the meditation, are the same for all Lamrim meditation sessions, the explanation of these will be given only once. For subsequent meditations only the second stage, the actual meditation, will be explained.

preparing for meditation

The success of our meditation depends upon our making six preparations. Just as we need to prepare carefully for an examination or a dinner party if it is to be a success, so we need to prepare carefully for meditation if we are to experience good results. The six preparatory practices are:

1 Cleaning the meditation room and setting up a shrine with representations of Buddha’s body, speech and mind.

2 Arranging suitable offerings.

3 Sitting in the correct meditation posture, going for refuge, and generating and enhancing bodhichitta.

4 Visualizing the Field for Accumulating Merit.

5 Accumulating merit and purifying negativity by offering the practice of the seven limbs and the mandala.

6 Requesting the Field for Accumulating Merit in general and the Lamrim lineage Gurus in particular to bestow their blessings.

cleaning the meditation room and setting up a shrine with representations of buddha’s body, speech and mind

cleaning the meditation room

Usually when we clean our room or our house we do it to make ourself feel more cheerful and energetic, or we make a special effort to clean it because we are expecting important guests. However, when we clean our room before doing meditation we should do it with a motivation that brings the greatest merit. We clean our room in order to invite all the holy beings so that we can accumulate merit and purify negative karma by offering them the practice of the seven limbs and the mandala. It is far more appropriate and worthwhile to put effort into cleaning our room when enlightened beings are to be our guests!

Five good results come from cleaning our meditation room with this motivation:

(1) Our mind becomes clearer

(2) The minds of others who enter our room become clearer

(3) The Deities are delighted to enter our room

(4) We create the cause to be reborn with a beautiful form

(5) We create the cause to be reborn in a pure environment such as a Pure Land

While we are cleaning we should regard all the dust and dirt as the filth of our own non-virtuous actions and delusions, thinking ‘This is the dirt of my ignorance – I am removing it. These are the stains of my destructive deeds – I am eliminating them.’ If we have an especially strong emotional problem, such as strong desirous attachment, we can concentrate on it and clean vigorously, thinking ‘This is the grime of my attachment. I am extracting it from my mind.’

There was once a monk called Lam Chung who lived at the time of Buddha Shakyamuni. Before he became a monk he had already gained the reputation of being dull and unteachable. He was sent to school but soon expelled because the teachers said he was unable to remember any of his lessons. Later his parents sent him to a Brahmin to learn the Vedic scriptures. Again he was unable to remember or understand anything he was taught and was once again expelled.

Thinking that a monastic situation might be more to his liking, his parents sent Lam Chung to his elder brother, Arya Lam Chen, who ordained him as a monk. Lam Chen took responsibility for his younger brother’s education and began by teaching him one verse of Dharma. Lam Chung studied this verse for three months but never mastered it! If he memorized it in the morning he would forget it by the evening, and if he memorized it at night he would forget it by the following morning. He tried studying out of doors, hoping this would be helpful for his mind, but with no success. He recited the verse so often while he was in the hills that even the shepherds minding their flocks came to memorize and understand it, but poor Lam Chung still could not master it. The shepherds themselves tried teaching him, but still Lam Chung was unable to learn it. As a result of his repeated failure even his older brother Lam Chen was compelled to dismiss him.

Lam Chung felt utterly depressed and cried as he walked slowly along the road. He thought to himself ‘Now I am neither a monk nor a lay person. How miserable I am!’ Through the power of his clairvoyance Buddha saw all that had taken place with Lam Chung and went to meet him. He asked him why he was crying and Lam Chung replied ‘I am so stupid I cannot memorize even one verse of scripture. Now even my own brother has given up on me.’

Buddha told him not to worry. As a method to purify his mind of past negativities he taught Lam Chung just a few words of Dharma and appointed him as the sweeper at the temple. Lam Chung was very happy with his new position. He swept the temple with great dedication, reciting as he did so the few words that Buddha had taught him.

He swept and swept for a long time, but through the power of Buddha, whenever Lam Chung swept the right side of the temple more dust would appear on the left side, and whenever he swept the left side of the temple more dust would appear on the right side. Nevertheless he continued to sweep, and purify, just as Buddha had instructed. The situation remained like this for a long time until, all of a sudden, Lam Chung was struck by the realization that the dust he was constantly sweeping lacked true, independent existence. This was a profound realization and through it he gained a direct understanding of emptiness, the ultimate nature of reality. By meditating on this emptiness continuously he was soon able to attain complete liberation from suffering. He had become a glorious Foe Destroyer.

Buddha saw that the purification techniques he had given Lam Chung had been profoundly successful and decided to proclaim Lam Chung’s new qualities publicly. He directed his disciple Ananda to inform a certain community of nuns that from then on their new Spiritual Guide was to be Lam Chung. The nuns were very upset and felt, ‘How can we accept as our Abbot a monk who is so stupid that he could not even remember one verse of the teachings over months and months?’ They decided that if they exposed Lam Chung’s inadequacies in public they would not have to accept him as their Teacher. So they spread the word in a nearby town that a monk who was as wise as Buddha himself would be coming soon to give teachings, and that all those who attended would certainly attain great realizations. To increase his expected humiliation the nuns even erected a large, ostentatious throne without any steps leading up to its elevated seat.

When the day of the scheduled teachings arrived, Lam Chung made his way to the nuns’ community where over one hundred thousand people had gathered, some to listen and others to see him humiliated. When he saw the large throne without steps he realized that it had been constructed in this way to make him look foolish. Without hesitation he stretched out his hand so that it seemed like an enormous elephant’s trunk and with it he reduced the throne until it was just a small speck. Then he returned the throne to its former size and, to the increasing amazement of the gathering, flew up to the top of it! After a brief period of meditation he flew into the sky and circled the gathering before returning to the throne. Seated once more he said: ‘Listen carefully. I will now give a week-long discourse on the meaning of one verse of Dharma. This is the same verse that in the past I could not remember or understand even after three months of trying.’

When the seven days of teaching were complete, many thousands in the audience had attained a direct realization of emptiness, while others attained the elevated states of a Stream Enterer, a Once Returner, a Never Returner and a Foe Destroyer. Others who were present were able to develop the precious bodhichitta, and those who came to test him increased their faith in the Three Jewels. Afterwards Buddha himself prophesied that among all his disciples Lam Chung would possess the greatest skill in taming the minds of others. Even today we can see pictures of Lam Chung, who is one of the sixteen Foe Destroyers often depicted in Buddhist art.

setting up a shrine with representations of buddha’s body, speech and mind

Facing our meditation seat, on a higher level, we set up a shrine with a picture or statue of Buddha Shakyamuni at the centre. If we have them we can place a scripture to Buddha’s right and a stupa or a picture of a stupa to his left. The statue or picture of Buddha represents his body, the scripture represents his speech and the stupa represents his mind. In addition we can place on our shrine other statues or pictures of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Spiritual Guides.

With our present, ordinary state of mind we cannot perceive the actual body, speech and mind of Buddha; but if we regard the image of Buddha as an actual Buddha and make prostrations, offerings and requests to it, our actions will have the same merit or value as if we had performed them in the presence of the living Buddha. Buddha Shakyamuni said:

Now my four disciples and others make offerings to me directly. In the future many people will make offerings with faith to an image representing my form. These actions have the same meaning.

Since both actions have equal merit and their ripened effects are the same, we would not gain any greater benefit if we were to meet the actual Buddha and make offerings to him than we would if we were to make offerings with faith to his image. We can gain conviction of this if we follow three lines of reasoning. First, since an offering is, by definition, that which delights the Buddhas, we can be sure that every time we make an offering to the image of Buddha all the Buddhas of the three times and ten directions are overjoyed. Second, since Buddhas possess clairvoyance, such as clairvoyance of divine eye, clairvoyance of divine ear and clairvoyance of knowing others’ minds, we can be sure that every time we make an offering to the image of Buddha all the Buddhas behold our offerings by means of their clairvoyance of divine eye; that every time we sing praises to Buddha all the Buddhas hear our praises by means of their clairvoyance of divine ear; and that every time we make offerings or praises inwardly these are known to all the Buddhas by means of their clairvoyance of knowing others’ minds. Third, since a Buddha’s body is not obstructed by material objects we can be sure that the Buddhas come into our presence whenever we make prostrations or offerings with faith, regardless of the fact that our minds are so clouded by delusions that we cannot see them.

It is taught in some philosophical scriptures that no place exists where there is no Buddha. According to Secret Mantra the mind and body of a Buddha are the same nature, and so everything that is pervaded by a Buddha’s omniscient mind is also pervaded by his divine body. Since the mind and body of ordinary beings are different in nature, their bodies cannot go everywhere their minds go. For example, if we think of India our mind goes there but our body does not. A Buddha’s body spontaneously goes wherever his or her mind goes. Therefore, whenever a Buddha hears our prayers his body comes into our presence. We do not see it because our mind is like a window with the blind pulled down.

On one occasion while Atisha was with his disciples in Tibet he suddenly broke into smiles and laughter. When his disciples asked him why he was so happy he replied ‘Right now in Magadha, in India, my disciples are making offerings to me in front of my statue, and they are singing beautiful songs.’ If through his clairvoyance Atisha was able to take delight in the songs of his disciples, can there be any doubt that the Buddhas receive our praises, offerings and requests whenever we make them with faith?

We receive great benefit from making prostrations, offerings and requests every day in front of the image of Buddha on our shrine. If we are very busy, even just looking at the image with faith and with our hands pressed together in respect is prostration, and creates a strong potentiality for us to see actual Buddhas in the future. In one of his previous lives Shariputra entered a temple where there were many paintings and statues of Buddhas. As he beheld them he wondered ‘When will I see the real Buddha face to face?’ All night long he gazed at the images and longed to meet the real Buddha. As a result of the good karma he created on that occasion, in a later life he became one of the main disciples of Buddha Shakyamuni and attained liberation in that life.

With our present impure mind the only way we can perceive Buddha is in the form of someone like our Spiritual Guide, or as an image, like the image we have on our shrine. Due to our karmic obstructions we perceive these forms as impure, but our impurities do not exist from their own side. As our mind becomes more virtuous we perceive Buddha’s image differently. When our mind is pure we perceive the image of Buddha as Buddha’s Emanation Body and not as a mere work of art. When we gain the concentration of the Dharma continuum we perceive the image of Buddha as Buddha’s Supreme Emanation Body and we are able to receive instructions from it directly, just as Atisha received instructions from his statue of Arya Tara. Atisha brought this statue with him to Tibet and whenever he was asked an important question he would say ‘First I will consult the Lady Tara.’ When we attain the first spiritual ground of a Bodhisattva we perceive the image of Buddha as Buddha’s Enjoyment Body, and when we attain full enlightenment we perceive the image of Buddha as Buddha’s Truth Body.

arranging suitable offerings

In front of the image of Buddha on our shrine we set up beautiful offerings, making sure that as we do so our mind is free from gross delusions, worldly concerns and any bad or impure motivation. For example, we do not set up offerings with the thought ‘I will make these offerings look very beautiful so that people who enter my room can appreciate my good taste.’

We may arrange a row, or many rows, of seven offering substances: water for drinking, water for bathing, flowers, incense, light, perfume and food. These can be offered as actual substances or as water. The seven substances represent the objects that delight the senses. In some Asian countries it used to be customary for hosts to offer these things to their guests whenever they entered the house. In the same spirit we can offer anything we find beautiful or welcoming.

When we are making offerings it is especially important to guard against feelings of greed or miserliness because these can easily enter our mind and destroy the virtue of our action. For example, we may buy some delicious cream cakes to offer to Buddha but on our way home we may feel a strong impulse to eat one. Even if we manage to resist this temptation we may still feel a sense of loss as we lay the cakes out on the shrine, and we may find ourself thinking about how soon we can take them down. Again, we may find that when we are buying offerings we are tempted to select the cheapest kind, thinking that we can economize because the offerings are only going on the shrine. Thoughts like these destroy the merit of our offering.

If we offer water to represent the seven offering substances, and if the water we offer has eight good qualities, we experience eight special benefits:

(1) Offering cool water causes us to develop pure moral discipline.

(2) Offering delicious water ensures that we will always find delicious food and drink in future lives.

(3) Offering light water causes us to experience the bliss of physical suppleness.

(4) Offering soft water makes our mind calm and gentle.

(5) Offering clear water makes our mind clear and alert.

(6) Offering sweet-smelling water brings easy and powerful purification of negative karma.

(7) Offering water that is good for the digestion reduces our illnesses.

(8) Offering water that soothes the throat makes our speech beautiful and powerful.

When we offer water to Buddha we should regard it as pure nectar because that is how it is perceived by Buddha. We can also arrange many sets of seven offering bowls filled with pure water, symbolizing our future attainment of the seven pre-eminent qualities of embrace of a Buddha.

The practice of offering is a very important preparation since it creates a vast amount of merit and makes our mind very strong. One of its special beauties is that everyone can do it easily because seven offering bowls are not hard to find and we can easily obtain water. Furthermore, when we offer water there is no danger of developing greed or miserliness as there is when we offer other substances. Therefore, this is one practice that we can perform very purely right from the beginning.

If people who are not religious come into our room and see our shrine and ask us why we are offering things in front of an image, we can answer them by pointing out that in every country it is customary to offer flowers in front of the pictures and statues of important citizens, and that many people offer flowers in front of the portraits and photographs of their loved ones.

sitting in the correct meditation posture, going for refuge, AND generating and enhancing bodhichitta

sitting in the correct meditation posture

When we practise meditation we need to have a comfortable seat and a good posture. The most important feature of the posture is to keep our back straight. To help us do this, if we are sitting on a cushion we make sure that the back of the cushion is slightly higher than the front, inclining our pelvis slightly forward. It is not necessary at first to sit cross-legged, but it is a good idea to become accustomed to sitting in the posture of Buddha Vairochana. If we cannot hold this posture we should sit in one which is as close to this as possible while remaining comfortable.

The seven features of Vairochana’s posture are:

(1) The legs are crossed in the vajra posture. This helps to reduce thoughts and feelings of desirous attachment.

(2) The right hand is placed in the left hand, palms upwards, with the tips of the thumbs slightly raised and gently touching. The hands are held about four fingers’ width below the navel. This helps us to develop good concentration. The right hand symbolizes method and the left hand symbolizes wisdom – the two together symbolize the union of method and wisdom. The two thumbs at the level of the navel symbolize the blazing of inner fire.

(3) The back is straight but not tense. This helps us to develop and maintain a clear mind, and it allows the subtle energy winds to flow freely.

(4) The lips and teeth are held as usual, but the tongue touches against the back of the upper teeth. This prevents excessive salivation while also preventing our mouth from becoming too dry.

(5) The head is tipped a little forward with the chin slightly tucked in so that the eyes are cast down. This helps prevent mental excitement.

(6) The eyes are neither wide open nor completely closed, but remain half open and gaze down along the line of the nose. If the eyes are wide open we are likely to develop mental excitement and if they are closed we are likely to develop mental sinking.

(7) The shoulders are level and the elbows are held slightly away from the sides to let air circulate.

A further feature of Vairochana’s posture is the preliminary breathing meditation, which prepares our mind for developing a good motivation. When we sit down to meditate our mind is usually full of disturbing thoughts, and we cannot immediately convert such a state of mind into the virtuous one we need as our motivation. A negative, disturbed state of mind is like pitch-black cloth. We cannot dye pitch-black cloth any other colour unless we first remove all the black dye and make the cloth white again. In the same way, if we want to colour our mind with a virtuous motivation we need to clear away all our negative thoughts and distractions. We can accomplish this temporarily by practising breathing meditation.

When we have settled down comfortably on our meditation seat we begin by becoming aware of the thoughts and distractions that are arising in our mind. Then we gently turn our attention to our breath, letting its rhythm remain normal. As we breathe out we imagine that we are breathing away all disturbing thoughts and distractions in the form of black smoke that vanishes in space. As we breathe in we imagine that we are breathing in all the blessings and inspiration of the holy beings in the form of white light that enters our body and absorbs into our heart. We maintain this visualization single-pointedly with each inhalation and exhalation for twenty-one rounds, or until our mind has become peaceful and alert. If we concentrate on our breathing in this way, negative thoughts and distractions will temporarily disappear because we cannot concentrate on more than one object at a time. At the conclusion of our breathing meditation we should think ‘Now I have received the blessings and inspiration of all the holy beings.’ At this stage our mind is like a clean white cloth which we can now colour with a virtuous motivation such as compassion or bodhichitta.

going for refuge

Once we are seated in the meditation posture and have generated a peaceful and alert state of mind, we can go for refuge and generate bodhichitta. We begin by going for refuge.

The objects to which we go for refuge are the Three Jewels: the Buddha Jewel, the Dharma Jewel and the Sangha Jewel. There now follows an extensive description of the Three Jewels as they are to be visualized whenever we do Lamrim meditation. Since it takes repeated practice to become familiar with the whole visualization, we should at first concentrate on visualizing the central figure of Buddha Shakyamuni. In time this will become clear and we will be able to extend the scope of the visualization. There is no need to feel discouraged if visualization seems difficult at first because it will definitely become easier as we become more familiar with the objects. Everyone can easily visualize someone they know very well. For example, if we close our eyes and try to visualize our mother we will be able to visualize her clearly. Visualizations are not switched on like the picture on a television screen, but with repeated acquaintance we can learn how to establish extensive visualizations quickly and hold them firmly in our mind. In the beginning we should be satisfied with just a vague image, remembering that the most important thing is to develop strong faith that the holy beings are actually present before us, full of life and looking at us with great kindness, ready to receive our offerings and respond to our prayers.

In the space in front of us, level with our eyebrows and at a distance from us of about one arm’s length, is a high, spacious throne. It is square and adorned with jewels such as diamonds, emeralds and lapis lazuli. On it there are five smaller thrones, one in the centre raised higher than the others and one in each of the four cardinal directions. The thrones are supported by snow lions, two at each corner. Covering the entire surface of the central throne, which faces east towards where we are sitting, is an eight-petalled lotus of various colours. The petals in the cardinal directions are red and the others are: south-east, yellow; south-west, green; north-west, yellow; north-east, black. The centre of the lotus is a flat, green disc surrounded by yellow anthers. Above this is a white moon disc, and above that a yellow sun disc. Upon this sits our principal Spiritual Guide in the aspect of the Conqueror Buddha Shakyamuni. His body is the colour of gold and he is in the posture known as ‘Buddha Shakyamuni Conquering the Demons’. His legs are in the vajra posture. His right arm is held with the elbow at the hip and the forearm on the right thigh extending to his knee so that his fingers touch the sun disc. This gesture indicates that he has conquered the Devaputra demon. His left hand is held palm upwards below his navel in the gesture of meditative equipoise, and holds a precious bowl made of lapis lazuli containing three nectars indicating that he has conquered the demon of uncontrolled death, the demon of contaminated aggregates and the demon of the delusions. He wears the three robes of an ordained person and his body is adorned with the thirty-two major signs and eighty minor indications of a Buddha. Buddha Shakyamuni is the main object of refuge because he is the founder of this present doctrine of Dharma.

We do not imagine the body of Guru Buddha Shakyamuni as if it were hollow or two-dimensional like a painting, or as if it were composed of any material substance like a statue or like the body of a human being with flesh, bones, inner organs and so forth. Buddha’s body is composed of light, clear and translucent. It radiates an aura of light of five colours: white, yellow, red, green and blue. It is the body of a real person, an enlightened being. As we behold Guru Buddha Shakyamuni in front of us we let his appearance remind us of all the good qualities of his enlightened mind: his wisdom clearly and directly perceiving all objects to be known; his compassion towards every single living being without exception, like a mother towards her only child; and his perfect skilful means, whereby he works unceasingly to bring all living beings to the unsurpassed happiness of full enlightenment.

At Guru Buddha Shakyamuni’s heart is a lotus, and above that a sun disc. Upon this sits Conqueror Vajradhara. His body is deep blue with one face and two arms. His right hand holds a golden, five-pronged vajra, and his left hand holds a bell of white silver. He wears eight jewelled ornaments: a crown, earrings, three necklaces of different lengths, bracelets, anklets and a jewelled waistband. His body is adorned with skirts and other garments of silk. He sits in the vajra posture embracing his consort, Vajradhatu Ishvari, whose body is also deep blue and adorned with similar garments and ornaments. She is in the lotus posture.

At Vajradhara’s heart is a blue seed-letter HUM radiating light of five colours profusely in all directions. This blue HUM is the concentration being, representing Buddha’s Truth Body; Vajradhara is the wisdom being, representing Buddha’s Enjoyment Body; and Guru Buddha Shakyamuni is the commitment being, representing Buddha’s Emanation Body. By visualizing these three beings we are gaining familiarity with the three bodies of a Buddha and creating the cause actually to perceive them in the future. By regarding our main Spiritual Guide as in essence one with these three beings we receive inspiration more quickly.

From the heart of Guru Buddha Shakyamuni light radiates to his right where he emanates as Maitreya seated on a throne, lotus and moon disc. Maitreya is in the aspect of the Enjoyment Body, adorned with ornaments and silk garments. He sits in the half-vajra posture. His body is red-yellow, with one face and two hands held at the level of his heart in the gesture of turning the Wheel of Dharma. Between the thumb and index finger of each hand he holds the stem of a naga tree. Beside his right ear the flower of one of the stems blooms and supports a golden wheel. Beside his left ear the flower of the other stem blooms and supports a long-necked vase.

In front of Maitreya, on a lotus and moon disc, sits Arya Asanga. His legs are crossed in such a way that his left leg extends from under his right thigh with the sole of his foot facing outwards, and his right leg, crossed over his left, extends several inches beyond his left knee. His right hand is in the gesture of expounding Dharma and his left hand is in the gesture of meditative equipoise. He wears the three robes of an ordained person and a Pandit’s hat. To his left is a spherical vessel. All the lineage Gurus of the vast path form a circle starting with Asanga and going clockwise around the central figure of Maitreya.

From the heart of Guru Buddha Shakyamuni light radiates to his left where he emanates as Manjushri seated on a throne, lotus and moon disc. His body is the same colour as Maitreya’s and he has the same posture except that he holds the stems of upali flowers. The flower that blooms beside his right ear supports a wisdom sword, and the flower that blooms beside his left ear supports a text of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra in Eight Thousand Lines. This posture is known as ‘Manjushri Turning the Wheel of Dharma’.

In front of Manjushri sits Nagarjuna in the half-vajra posture, wearing the robes of an ordained person. His hands are in the gesture of expounding Dharma. He has a small crown-protrusion and, arched over his head without touching it, is a canopy of seven snakes. All the lineage Gurus of the profound path form a circle starting with Nagarjuna and going counter-clockwise around the central figure of Manjushri.

To the right of the lineage Gurus of the vast path sit the lineage Gurus of Kadam Lamrimpa, and to the left of the lineage Gurus of the profound path sit the lineage Gurus of Kadam Shungpawa. Behind the lineage Gurus of the vast path sit the lineage Gurus of Kadam Menngagpa. Each of these Kadampa Gurus sits on a lotus and moon disc.

From the heart of Guru Buddha Shakyamuni light radiates behind him where he emanates as Buddha Vajradhara seated on a throne, lotus and moon disc. Surrounding him are all the lineage Gurus of Secret Mantra from Tilopa down to our present Spiritual Guide.

From the heart of Guru Buddha Shakyamuni light radiates in front of him where he emanates as our principal Spiritual Guide. We visualize him or her as radiant and youthful without any physical imperfections. His right hand is in the gesture of expounding Dharma, indicating that he dispels his disciples’ ignorance. His left hand is in the gesture of meditative equipoise holding a life vase, indicating that he destroys the power death has over his disciples. These two, ignorance and death, are the greatest obstacles to our spiritual development. Ignorance prevents us from understanding Dharma, especially the instructions on superior seeing, which is the very antidote to ignorance; and death destroys the very life that is the basis for practising Dharma. Surrounding our main Spiritual Guide we visualize all the other Spiritual Guides who have taught us pure Dharma directly in this life.

In front of these groups of Gurus we visualize the Deities of Highest Yoga Tantra. On the right is Vajrabhairava, on the left Heruka and in the centre Guhyasamaja, Vajrayogini or whoever is our personal Deity of Highest Yoga Tantra. In front of these in successive rows are: Deities of Yoga Tantra, such as the assembly of Sarvavid, the main Deity of Yoga Tantra; Deities of Performance Tantra, such as the assembly of Vairochana Deities; Deities of Action Tantra, such as Amitayus, Green Tara and White Tara; Buddhas of Sutra, such as the one thousand Buddhas of this Fortunate Aeon, the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas and the Seven Medicine Buddhas; Sanghas of Sutra, including Bodhisattvas such as the eight Great Sons, Solitary Realizers such as the twelve Solitary Realizers, and Hearers such as the sixteen Foe Destroyers; Sanghas of Tantra, such as the Heroes and Heroines of the Twenty-four Auspicious Places, and supramundane Dharma Protectors such as Dorje Shugden, Mahakala, Dharmaraja, Vaishravana and Kalindewi.

In this vast assembly all the Gurus, Deities and Buddhas are the Buddha Jewel; and all the Bodhisattvas, Solitary Realizers, Hearers, Heroes, Heroines and Dharma Protectors are the Sangha Jewel. In front of each of the holy beings is a small marble table supporting scriptures that they have composed. These scriptures are in the nature of wisdom light, and they represent the Dharma Jewel. When we visualize them we regard them as in essence the inner realizations of the holy beings. These inner realizations are the actual Dharma Jewel.

We construct this visualization gradually, making it as vast as we can imagine because the objects of refuge are countless, pervading the whole of space. Each one is an emanation of the main object of refuge, Guru Buddha Shakyamuni.

When we have established this visualization we imagine that we are surrounded by all the countless living beings who experience the sufferings of the six realms of samsara. We imagine them all in human form. Closest to us are our own parents, family and friends. To generate compassion towards all of them we meditate:

Unceasingly, since time without beginning, I have been experiencing the various kinds of suffering. Again and again I have undergone the pains of each of the six realms of uncontrolled rebirth without freedom or choice. Now I have obtained a precious human life with all the necessary freedoms and endowments, and I have discovered Dharma. Now I have a rare opportunity to attain liberation by putting Dharma into practice.

Nevertheless, it remains very difficult to attain liberation because my mind is heavily burdened with delusions preventing me from gaining realizations. Furthermore, I cannot be sure how long this opportunity will last because the time of death is most uncertain. If I die today or in a few months’ time I will have no control over my death and rebirth. I could easily take rebirth in one of the lower realms where the suffering is unbearable. If I were fortunate enough to take my next rebirth as a human being I would still have to endure the sufferings of birth, sickness, old age, death and all the other sufferings of human life. Even if I were to take rebirth as a god I would not be free from suffering. Therefore I must use this chance to attain liberation.

I am not the only one trapped in this pitiable condition of pain and dissatisfaction; how could I aim only for my own release? Every living being who wanders within the six realms of samsara has at some time in the past been my own dear mother, and every single one of them experiences the same sufferings that I experience. Therefore, I must work to liberate all of them. Since only the Three Jewels have the power to protect and help us, I will go for refuge from the depths of my heart in order to be able to free all other living beings from their suffering.

In this way we generate the causes of going for refuge and increase our wish to gain freedom from samsara for ourself and others. This way of going for refuge increases our realizations of renunciation and compassion. Compassion induces the superior intention ‘I must work to liberate all beings.’ Recognizing that we need to go for refuge if we are to fulfil this wish, we focus our attention on the groups of Gurus visualized in front of us and recite fifty times ‘I go for refuge to the Gurus.’ When we have finished this recitation we request the Gurus to bestow their blessings. We then visualize white light descending from their hearts and absorbing into our body and mind, purifying all our negative karma, especially the negative karma that we have created with respect to our Spiritual Guide by actions such as developing dislike or disrespect for him or her, disturbing him, physically harming him, telling him lies, going against his wishes or getting angry with him. When this visualization is complete we should feel that all our negativities have been purified and our body is transformed into the nature of light.

We then recite the same line another fifty times and when we have finished we make requests and visualize golden nectar descending from the hearts of the Gurus and absorbing into our body and mind. This nectar causes our realizations, life span, merit and virtues to increase.

Next we focus attention on the Buddhas and Deities and recite fifty times ‘I go for refuge to the Buddhas.’ When we have finished this recitation we request the Buddhas to bestow their blessings. We then visualize white light descending from their hearts and purifying all our negative karma, especially the negative karma that we have created with respect to the Buddhas by actions such as developing dislike for them, wishing to harm them physically, going against their wishes, selling statues of Buddhas for our own financial gain, or stepping over images of Buddhas thinking that they are insignificant. We then recite the same line another fifty times and when we have finished we make requests and visualize the golden nectar as before.

We continue the practice in the same way, reciting ‘I go for refuge to Dharma’, with our attention focused on the Dharma Jewel, and ‘I go for refuge to the Sangha’, with our attention focused on the Sangha Jewel. When we have finished all these rounds of recitation and meditation we then focus our attention on all the objects of refuge together, and recite as many times as we can the short prayer of going for refuge:

I and all sentient beings, until we achieve enlightenment,

Go for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

We then make specific requests to the objects of refuge in accordance with their different ways of helping us. The Gurus help us by transforming our mind with inspiration and blessings; the Buddhas help us by guiding us to liberation and full enlightenment; the Deities help us by bestowing attainments; the Sangha help us by offering assistance in our Dharma practice; the Heroes and Heroines help us by bestowing spontaneous great bliss, thus enabling us to practise Secret Mantra; and the Protectors help us by dispelling hindrances to our Dharma practice. When we have made these special requests we visualize the light and nectar as before.

In the beginning, if we find it difficult to visualize the objects of refuge in this elaborate form we can imagine simply that the Three Jewels are present in the space before us, and then with faith recite the short prayer of going for refuge.

generating bodhichitta

Having gone for refuge we now generate bodhichitta by meditating:

What will it be like when I become enlightened? I will possess every good quality and I will be completely free from all faults, all sufferings and every kind of hindrance. I will have perfect ability to help all other living beings. My emanations will be as numerous as living beings and I will use them for the benefit of all. Just as there is one moon shining in the sky whose reflections fill all the lakes and waters of the world, when I become enlightened my emanations will cover and protect every living being.

When this meditation induces in our mind a strong intention to become enlightened for the sake of others, we hold this thought clearly and single-pointedly for as long as we can, acquainting ourself with it more and more closely. Then we recite the prayer of generating bodhichitta:

Through the virtues I collect by giving and other perfections,

May I become a Buddha for the benefit of all.

Bodhichitta is a mind that has two aspirations, both of which are expressed in this prayer. The main aspiration, to benefit others, is expressed by the words ‘for the benefit of all’. The secondary aspiration, to accomplish the means to fulfil the main aspiration, is expressed by the words ‘May I become a Buddha’.

Since bodhichitta is the main cause of full enlightenment Guru Buddha Shakyamuni is overjoyed whenever it arises in our mind. Therefore, after reciting the prayer we should imagine that in response Buddha emanates another form in the same aspect, which comes to the crown of our head and enters our body, purifying all our non-virtues and obstructions. We are transformed into a Buddha in the same aspect as Guru Shakyamuni. From our body we radiate light in all directions, reaching every single living being and purifying their non-virtues and obstructions. All living beings absorb into light and reappear as Buddhas in the same aspect as Guru Buddha Shakyamuni. Practising in this way is known as ‘bringing the result into the path’. It is so called because we are strongly imagining that we have already attained the future result of our practice. The result itself is full enlightenment and an enlightened being’s ability to help others attain the same state. This practice ripens our potentiality to attain Buddhahood more quickly. This potentiality is known as ‘Buddha lineage’ or ‘Buddha seed’.

enhancing bodhichitta: the practice of the four immeasurables

Before beginning this practice we need to reduce our divine pride and remember that we have only been imagining that we have attained the future result of our practice, and that in reality we ourself and countless other living beings have yet to become enlightened beings.

To enhance our bodhichitta motivation we practise the four immeasurables:

(1) Immeasurable equanimity

(2) Immeasurable love

(3) Immeasurable compassion

(4) Immeasurable joy

These are called ‘immeasurables’ because we practise them taking as our observed object all living beings whose number is immeasurable. When we practise immeasurable equanimity we develop the wish for all living beings to gain the realization of equanimity, and we actively dedicate ourself to help them do this. When we practise immeasurable love and immeasurable compassion we develop the wish for others to experience only happiness and freedom from suffering, and we actively dedicate ourself to make this happen. When we practise immeasurable joy we develop the wish that others should never lose the enjoyments and happiness that they experience in the fortunate states of humans and gods, or the supreme joy of liberation, and we actively dedicate ourself to prevent them ever being separated from temporary or ultimate happiness.

Each of the four immeasurables has four parts: an immeasurable wish, an immeasurable prayer, an immeasurable superior intention and an immeasurable request.

Immeasurable equanimity Observing all the beings around us we meditate:

At some time in their past lives all living beings have been related to each other as a mother to her own dear child, but they do not remember this and so now they develop attachment, hatred or indifference towards one another, feeling close to some and distant from others. Hatred and attachment motivate them to commit harmful actions and as a result they continue to experience problems. If everyone were to develop equanimity they would not be governed by attachment and hatred, and they would find freedom from suffering.

Meditating in this way induces in our heart an immeasurable wish, ‘How wonderful it would be if all living beings were to abide in equanimity, free from hatred and attachment, not feeling close to some and distant from others.’ Meditating on this immeasurable wish induces an immeasurable prayer, ‘May all beings abide in equanimity.’ Praying in this way induces an immeasurable superior intention, ‘I myself will make this happen.’ Meditating on this intention compels us to make an immeasurable request, ‘Please, O Buddhas and Spiritual Guides, bless me to do this.’

If we gaze at a perfectly cloudless, blue sky we will not prefer the east to the west or the west to the east. In the same way, when we gain the realization of equanimity we will not prefer some people to others. All beings will be equally important to us. Before we have this realization our gaze is, as it were, fixed upon uneven ground. Some areas look high and others look low.

Most of the personal problems we experience are caused by our own biased mind. We think that we, our family, and our friends are most important. We cherish those who are close to us and take their concerns to heart, but we neglect almost everyone else, thinking that their concerns are insignificant. When we gain equanimity we will see all beings as equally precious and as a result we will find that many of our own problems are overcome.

Equanimity is an equal concern for others and not a mere indifference. Indifference is as far away from equanimity as hatred and attachment. When we develop equanimity we will experience great peace and happiness. Our mind is like a well-ploughed field where we can plant the seeds of compassion, love and bodhichitta.

Immeasurable love Observing all the beings around us we meditate:

All these beings long for happiness, yet most of them do not know what the cause of happiness is, and those who do know cannot create it. Therefore, all of them lack what they desire.

Meditating in this way induces in our heart an immeasurable wish, an immeasurable prayer, an immeasurable superior intention and an immeasurable request:

How wonderful it would be if all living beings were to possess happiness and its cause.

May all beings possess these.

I myself will make this happen.

Please, O Buddhas and Spiritual Guides, bless me to do this.

When we have generated this immeasurable wish continuously and spontaneously, we have gained the realization of immeasurable love. Since living beings are countless, so are the benefits of immeasurable love. Even when our meditation goes badly and we do not experience any special feeling, we still receive many benefits from meditating on immeasurable love.

Immeasurable compassion Observing all the beings around us we meditate:

All these beings are afraid of suffering and wish to be free from it, yet in ignorance they continue to commit negative actions which are the very cause of suffering.

Meditating in this way induces in our heart an immeasurable wish, an immeasurable prayer, an immeasurable superior intention and an immeasurable request:

How wonderful it would be if all living beings were free from suffering and its cause.

May they all be free from these.

I myself will make this happen.

Please, O Buddhas and Spiritual Guides, bless me to do this.

Immeasurable joy Observing all the beings around us we again meditate in order to generate an immeasurable wish, an immeasurable prayer, an immeasurable superior intention and an immeasurable request:

How wonderful it would be if all living beings were never to lose the happiness of humans and gods or the supreme joy of liberation.

May they never be parted from these.

I myself will make this happen.

Please, O Buddhas and Spiritual Guides, bless me to do this.

generating the bodhichitta motivation for a specific practice

Before engaging in our actual meditation we generate the motivation to do it solely for the sake of attaining full enlightenment for the benefit of others. For example, if we are going to meditate on how to rely upon our Spiritual Guide we motivate ourself:

I will now train my mind in faith and respect for my Spiritual Guide so that I can benefit others by building the foundation that supports all other realizations of the stages of the path to enlightenment.

This bodhichitta is called ‘engaging’ or ‘practical’ bodhichitta. It decides to engage in a specific practice as a means of actually accomplishing the goal of aspiring bodhichitta, which is the wish to become enlightened for the sake of all other living beings.

visualizing the field for accumulating merit

There are two ways of visualizing the Field for Accumulating Merit. According to the first way we imagine that the objects of refuge gradually gather into Guru Buddha Shakyamuni who comes to the crown of our head and descends to our heart, and then we visualize the Field for Accumulating Merit in the empty space in front of us. The second way is easier. We simply impute the Field for Accumulating Merit upon our visualization of the objects of refuge.

The objects of refuge are now designated as the Field for Accumulating Merit because when we offer the practice of the seven limbs and the mandala the holy beings act as a field in which we plant and nourish our seeds of virtue. By making these offerings we create and increase our virtuous energy, purify our negative karma and increase our potentiality to gain the realizations of the stages of the path. These results are the good harvest of our virtue.

We begin this practice by remembering all the details of the previous visualization, from Guru Buddha Shakyamuni at the centre to the outermost row of Dharma Protectors. In addition, to increase the protection of Dharma, we visualize a guardian in each of the four cardinal directions of the Field for Accumulating Merit. At the crown of each holy being we visualize a white OM, the seed-letter of Vairochana; at the throat a red AH, the seed-letter of Amitabha; at the heart a blue HUM, the seed-letter of Akshobya; at the navel a yellow SO, the seed-letter of Ratnasambhava; and at the secret place a green HA, the seed-letter of Amoghasiddhi. These seed-letters indicate that all the holy beings in the Field for Accumulating Merit are, in essence, the same as the five Buddha lineages.

We then renew our conviction that we are in the living presence of the holy beings. In this we are like a blind person who is led into a room where a discourse is being given and whose friend describes how all the people appear. The blind person believes what he or she is told without hesitation. He vividly imagines all the people as if he were really seeing them and he actually feels their living presence.

Next we recite the prayer inviting the Field for Accumulating Merit – inviting all the wisdom beings to come before us and unite with the commitment beings visualized in front of us:

You, Protector of all beings,

Great Destroyer of hosts of demons,

Please, O Blessed One, Knower of All,

Come to this place with your retinue.

From the hearts of all the holy beings light radiates, reaching all the Buddha Lands and bringing the wisdom beings into our presence where they become inseparably one with the visualized Field for Accumulating Merit.

Buddha Shakyamuni said ‘Whenever anyone develops faith in me, I am present.’ Therefore it is certain that if we recite the prayer of invitation with faith, the wisdom beings will come. Then we can abandon all doubts that the holy beings are actually present.

At the time of Buddha Shakyamuni there lived a young woman called Magadhabhatri who had immense faith in Buddha Shakyamuni and his disciples. She went abroad to another country to live with her non-Buddhist husband and his family. Although they were often visited by their venerable non-Buddhist teacher, this never satisfied Magadhabhatri, who was always talking about the good qualities of her own Teacher, Buddha Shakyamuni. By listening to this her mother-in-law developed great faith in Buddha and asked Magadhabhatri to invite him to visit them. When Magadhabhatri promised the family that Buddha and his retinue would be arriving the next day they could hardly believe her. They said that even if Buddha was already on his way it would be impossible for him to get there so quickly. Magadhabhatri climbed to the top of the house holding flowers and incense, and requested Buddha to come by reciting a prayer inviting the Field for Accumulating Merit.

Buddha heard her request through his powers of clairvoyance and he summoned his five hundred Foe Destroyer disciples, telling them that those with miracle powers could come with him the following day. One disciple, not wanting to be left behind, meditated all night to attain the necessary miracle powers so that he could fly along with Buddha!

Magadhabhatri’s mother-in-law meanwhile told all the local people that Buddha Shakyamuni would be arriving that day with five hundred disciples: ‘Magadhabhatri tells me that they are going to fly here miraculously from her father’s land!’ There was great surprise and excitement. Many groups of people gathered on the surrounding hills and gazed at the sky to see from which direction Buddha would come. For their benefit Buddha emanated eighteen forms in similar aspect to himself in each of the eighteen gateways of the town. Although only one Buddha entered Magadhabhatri’s house, everyone in the town and surrounding area saw Buddha and developed very strong faith in him. From that time forth they engaged fully in the practice of Dharma.

accumulating merit and purifying negativity by offering the practice of the seven limbs and the mandala

the practice of the seven limbs

The seven limbs are:

(1) Prostration

(2) Offering

(3) Confession

(4) Rejoicing

(5) Beseeching the Buddhas and Spiritual Guides not to pass away

(6) Requesting the Buddhas and Spiritual Guides to turn the Wheel of Dharma

(7) Dedication

The practices of prostration, offering, beseeching and requesting accumulate merit; the practices of rejoicing and dedication multiply merit; and the practice of confession purifies negative karma. These seven practices are called ‘limbs’ because they support our meditation as limbs support a body. Without the use of limbs we cannot accomplish much in the way of physical actions. Similarly, without the limbs of accumulating merit and purifying negativity we cannot accomplish much in the way of meditation.

Each of the practices has a different function: prostration overcomes pride; offering overcomes miserliness; confession overcomes all three root delusions – desirous attachment, hatred and ignorance; rejoicing overcomes jealousy; beseeching overcomes our wrong views and the negative karma we have created by committing negative actions towards the Buddhas and Spiritual Guides; requesting overcomes the negative action of abandoning Dharma; and dedication overcomes the power of our anger to destroy the merit of whatever good actions we dedicate.

prostration

The practice of prostration was taught by Buddha Shakyamuni, and it was one of the main practices of Naropa and Je Tsongkhapa. There are three types of prostration: physical, verbal and mental. We make physical prostrations by paying respect with a physical action of our body, such as by making full-length or half-length prostrations, bowing our head, or pressing the palms of our hands together. We make verbal prostrations by paying respect with our speech, such as by reciting praises to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. We make mental prostrations by paying respect mentally, such as by developing faith in the Three Jewels. We can perform all three types of prostration together by making physical prostrations with faith whilst reciting praises or mantras.

To make physical prostrations we place the palms of our hands together with the thumbs tucked in and then touch, in turn, the crown of our head, the point between our eyebrows, our throat and the point at the level of our heart. Then we bring our body to the ground either in half-length prostration with our palms, knees and forehead touching the ground, or in a full-length prostration with our whole body stretched face downwards on the ground. Touching our crown and forehead creates the cause to attain the body of a Buddha. In particular, touching our crown creates the cause to attain the crown protrusion of a Buddha, and touching the point between our eyebrows creates the cause to attain the hair-curl of a Buddha. Touching our throat creates the cause to attain the speech of a Buddha, and touching the point at the level of our heart creates the cause to attain the mind of a Buddha.

According to Secret Mantra we begin by placing the two hands palms together at our heart. The five fingers of the right hand represent the five root winds and the five fingers of the left hand represent the five branch winds. Bringing the hands together represents the gathering of these subtle energy winds into the central channel. Touching the point at the level of our heart symbolizes the winds absorbing into the indestructible drop at the heart. When this is actually accomplished through meditation we gain the highest attainments of Secret Mantra, such as the realizations of example and meaning clear light.

If we recite the following mantra as we make our physical prostrations, the power of each prostration is multiplied by one thousand:

OM NAMO MANJUSHRIYE

NAMO SUSHRIYE

NAMO UTAMA SHRIYE SOHA

NAMO means ‘homage’ and MANJUSHRIYE means ‘Glorious Peaceful One’. A Buddha’s mind is peaceful because it is completely free from the two obstructions: delusion-obstructions – delusions and their seeds; and obstructions to omniscience – the imprints of delusions. Any being who is completely free from these is a Buddha. SU means ‘noble’ or ‘good’; and SHRI means ‘glorious’, and refers to the qualities of the Dharma Jewel. UTAMA SHRIYE means ‘glorious and unsurpassed’, and refers to the Sangha Jewel. Thus the meaning of the whole mantra is:

I pay homage to the Buddha Jewel,

I pay homage to the Dharma Jewel,

I pay homage to the Sangha Jewel.

We can also recite prayers as we physically prostrate. For example, we can recite the four verses of prostration from the King of Prayers of Superior Excellent Deeds Sutra:

However many Lions of Conqueror Buddhas there are

In the worlds of the ten directions and three times,

To all of them without exception

I prostrate with body, speech and mind.

By the power of my excellent pure view,

All Conqueror Buddhas appear clearly to my mind;

Bowing with bodies numerous as atoms of the world,

I prostrate to all these Conqueror Buddhas.

Upon each atom are Buddhas numerous as atoms

Surrounded by all Bodhisattvas;

In this way I visualize the Conqueror Buddhas

Filling the ground and all of space.

With an inexhaustible chorus of praise

And the sound of infinite prayer,

I proclaim the good qualities of all the Buddhas

And praise all Those Gone to Bliss.

If we physically prostrate while reciting the first verse we are making prostrations with our body, speech and mind. The second verse shows how to multiply physical prostrations by imagining that we have countless bodies prostrating simultaneously. The third verse shows how to make mental prostrations by generating faith and remembering the countless good qualities of Buddha, which go beyond our imagination. The fourth verse shows how to make verbal prostrations by offering praise to Buddha.

If we cannot recite these four verses, when we have finished reciting the mantra we can prostrate while reciting Buddha Shakyamuni’s prayer:

Guru, Founder, Blessed One,

Tathagata and Arhat,

Completely Perfect Buddha,

Great Victor, Shakyamuni, Lord,

To you we bow, go for refuge and offer gifts.

O Please bless us.

As we offer this prayer we prostrate to Guru Buddha Shakyamuni who is our main Field of Merit. Then we prostrate to all five groups of Gurus, including Guru Buddha Shakyamuni in the centre, and to all the holy beings who are the Buddha Jewel, reciting: ‘I prostrate to all the Buddhas such as the Yidams of all four classes of Tantra and the thousand Buddhas.’ Then we prostrate to the Dharma Jewel, reciting: ‘I prostrate to the holy Dharma, the actual protection.’ Finally we prostrate to the holy beings who are the Sangha Jewel, such as the Bodhisattvas, Solitary Realizers, Hearers, Heroes, Heroines and Dharma Protectors, reciting: ‘I prostrate to the supreme Sangha.’

When we are making prostrations it is helpful to remember all the benefits. According to Sutra the ten main benefits are that in the future we will obtain:

(1) A healthy and beautiful form

(2) Rebirth in an honoured family

(3) A great circle of assistants

(4) Offerings and respect from others

(5) Abundant resources

(6) The many benefits of listening to Dharma

(7) Strong faith in the Three Jewels

(8) A good and vast memory

(9) Great wisdom

(10) A deep and vast realization of concentration

There are also many other benefits. For example, prostration purifies negative karma and creates the cause to attain the Form Body of a Buddha.

offering

There are two types of offering, ordinary and sublime. All material offerings are ordinary. They can be either actually arranged before our shrine or imagined, and they can be either owned or unowned. If we see a beautiful garden and mentally offer it to the Three Jewels, this is an owned offering because the garden belongs to someone. If we see wild flowers and mentally offer them, these are unowned offerings.

There are four types of sublime offering. Two are mentioned in Sutra Requested by Sagaramati – the offering of putting Dharma into practice and the offering of generating bodhichitta. Applying effort to learn Dharma, meditating on it and explaining it to others are all examples of the sublime offering of putting Dharma into practice. Generating the minds of love and compassion are also sublime offerings.

The third type of sublime offering, mentioned in White Lotus of Compassion Sutra, is the offering of putting into practice whatever special instructions we have received from our Spiritual Guide. The great Yogi Milarepa said:

I do not have wealth or possessions and so I cannot make material offerings, but I will repay the kindness of my Spiritual Guide by putting the Dharma he teaches into practice.

The best offering that we can make to our Spiritual Guide is to practise the instructions he or she has given us. One Kadampa Teacher said:

Any Spiritual Teacher who prefers material offerings to the practice of his disciples is not qualified and creates the cause to take rebirth in the lower realms.

The fourth type of sublime offering is the offering of our virtuous actions imagined as beautiful substances. For example, if we meditate on love we can mentally transform this virtue into a gem, or a flower or a Pure Land, and offer it to the Three Jewels.

We can mentally arrange offerings by reciting prayers such as the one included in Yeshe Tsondru’s Lamrim, Essence of Nectar, or the verses of offering from the King of Prayers of Superior Excellent Deeds Sutra:

Sacred flowers, sacred garlands,

Cymbals, balms, supreme parasols,

Supreme butter-lamps and sacred incense,

I offer to all the Conquerors.

Superb garments, supreme scents,

Medicinal powders, vast as Meru,

Everything supreme, especially arranged,

I offer to all the Conquerors.

For all the Buddhas I visualize

A vast array of unsurpassed offerings.

By the power of my faith in their excellent deeds,

I prostrate and make offerings to them all.

Or we can make offerings mentally with the short prayer:

May all of space be filled

With offerings from gods and men,

Both set out and imagined,

Like offerings of the All Good One.

confession

The practice of confession is not just a matter of verbally or mentally admitting to negative actions we have committed. Confession includes all the practices of purification. We definitely need to purify the negative actions that we have committed because they are the main cause of all our suffering and unhappiness.

Even though we may try very hard it is difficult to develop realizations. When we draw close to gaining some experience from our Dharma practice our effort often degenerates and we do not succeed. At times we may feel strong faith in our Spiritual Guide but we can lose this feeling. It is hard to develop faith in Dharma and understand the real meaning of the teachings we receive. When we try to meditate we do not find it easy to concentrate, and when we try to put Dharma into practice in our daily lives we hardly ever maintain a pure practice even for one hour. These difficulties arise because we carry a burden of negativity within our mind, the heavy inheritance of all the non-virtuous actions that we have committed.

In Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life Shantideva says:

Who purposely creates the weapons

That harm the beings in the hells?

Who creates the blazing iron ground?

From where do the tempting hallucinations arise?

The Able One says that all such things

Come only from evil minds.

To understand how our own negative actions have caused our present difficulties and unhappiness we need to study and meditate on actions and their effects, the law of karma. This will be explained in detail below. By meditating on karma we will realize that our bad experiences have been created by our negative mind, and we will see that it is much more appropriate to develop aversion for the cause than for its effect. We will easily develop regret for all the negative actions that we have committed and we will develop the determination to engage in the practice of purification to destroy the negative potentialities that those actions have left within our mind.

If we remember all the negative actions that we have committed we may become discouraged and conclude ‘I am a hopeless case. My mind is so full of negativity that I will never be able to make it pure.’ If we start to think like this we need to recall the examples of Angulimala, Tong Den and Ajatashatru. Inspired by the perverse advice of his bad friends, Angulimala killed nine hundred and ninety-nine people. He then received Dharma teachings and realized his error, but instead of giving up hope he practised purification. As a result he purified all his negative karma and gained a direct realization of emptiness in that very life. The king Ajatashatru killed his father who was a Foe Destroyer and disrobed a nun who was also a Foe Destroyer, but when he heard Buddha expound the Confession Sutra he developed strong regret and purified all his negative karma. He gained a direct realization of emptiness and attained the state of a Stream Enterer. The Brahmin Tong Den killed his mother but later purified his mind and became a great disciple of Buddha Shakyamuni.

If it is possible for such heinous crimes to be completely purified, can we doubt that our own non-virtue can be eliminated? At present our mind is like an overcast sky, but if we purify all our negativity and keep the promise to refrain from harmful actions in the future, our mind will become like a clear and cloudless sky.

In Friendly Letter Nagarjuna says:

If anyone who has previously been extremely reckless,

Later practises conscientiousness sincerely,

That person will become pure like a stainless moon.

If we do powerful purification every day we can completely purify all our negative karma; if we do middling purification we can reduce our negative karma; and if we do a little purification we can prevent our negative karma from increasing. If we do no purification our negative karma will increase as time goes by and we will definitely experience its painful results. The degree of purification we attain depends upon the strength of the four opponent powers:

(1) The power of regret

(2) The power of reliance

(3) The power of the opponent force

(4) The power of promise

For our practice of purification to be complete, all four powers must be present.

The power of regret This is the power of our regret for the harmful actions we have committed. We develop regret by remembering all the dangers of our negativity. Indirectly regret destroys both the potentialities of our non-virtuous actions and our wish to repeat such actions in the future. For this reason it is also known as ‘the power of destruction’. The stronger our regret, the stronger our restraint. If for example we were to discover that we had swallowed deadly poison we would feel deep regret. How much greater our regret should be for our negative actions, which poison all our future lives!

The power of reliance There are two main objects of our negative actions, the Three Jewels and living beings. Most of our negative actions are committed against other living beings. Motivated by attachment, anger or ignorance, we kill, steal, lie and so forth. We have also committed many negative actions against holy beings such as Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Spiritual Guides. Driven by delusion we have created heavy negative karma by engaging in actions such as abandoning Dharma, denying the existence of enlightened beings or showing disrespect towards the Sangha. Therefore, going for refuge by relying upon the Three Jewels, and generating compassion or bodhichitta by relying upon all living beings as our object, are powerful methods for purifying the negative actions that we have committed against them. This is what is meant by the power of reliance.

The power of the opponent force This is the power of any virtuous action we perform as an opponent to whatever non-virtuous action we wish to purify. The opponent can be any virtuous action performed with sincere regret for our negativity. For example, we can make prostrations, recite mantras, recite the names of Buddhas, read the scriptures, meditate on emptiness, make offerings or practise giving. This remedial action is the actual means of directly destroying non-virtuous potentialities.

The power of promise This is the power of promising to refrain from negative actions. When we make a promise we need to know for how long we are able to keep it. We can avoid some negative actions for the rest of our life and others for only a short while. When it comes to those we cannot avoid completely, we can promise to avoid them for a short time and then gradually extend the duration as our capacity increases. Eventually we will be able to promise to refrain for the rest of our life. Even those whose livelihood depends upon negative actions such as killing animals can practise like this.

rejoicing

Whenever we rejoice in the virtues and accomplishments of those whose attainments are higher than our own we increase our merit abundantly. Such an action endows us with merit half as great as the merit of those in whom we rejoice, and it increases our own potentiality to gain the same attainments.

Buddha Shakyamuni said that we should practise rejoicing in the virtues of five kinds of person: Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Solitary Realizers, Hearers and ordinary beings. It is helpful to read the life stories of Spiritual Guides, Yogis and Buddhas. By contemplating the Buddhas’ qualities of body, speech and mind and the virtuous actions they performed before and after their attainment of enlightenment, and by considering how many beings they have benefited, we will develop appreciation and rejoice in their attainments, thinking ‘How wonderful it will be if I become a Buddha.’ By contemplating how Bodhisattvas develop bodhichitta and successively attain the five Mahayana paths and ten grounds we will appreciate and rejoice in their deeds and develop the thought ‘How wonderful it will be if I become a Bodhisattva.’ By contemplating how Solitary Realizers attain a realization of emptiness and attain a middling enlightenment, and how Hearers attain a realization of emptiness and attain liberation, we will rejoice in their practice of the three higher trainings and increase our own potentiality to gain the same realizations. If we also rejoice in those who, like ourself, have not yet entered a spiritual path but who are practising sincerely, we will eliminate our jealousy and accumulate great merit. We should rejoice whenever others practise giving, moral discipline or any other virtue, and whenever they put effort into studying and meditating on Dharma.

There was once a king called King Prasenajit who invited Buddha Shakyamuni and his disciples to lunch. A beggar called Tepa stood at the king’s gate and rejoiced in the king’s generosity, thinking ‘How fortunate King Prasenajit is!’ When he had finished his meal Buddha dedicated the merit of the beggar for the sake of all beings. King Prasenajit asked, ‘I am the one who has provided this food, so why have you dedicated that beggar’s merit and not mine?’ Buddha replied ‘Today that beggar has performed a more virtuous action and gained more merit.’ Buddha knew that the king’s motivation for giving him a meal was mixed with worldly concerns whereas the beggar’s act of rejoicing was entirely pure.

Our practice of rejoicing will be especially powerful if we can rejoice in the virtues of people whom we dislike or who dislike us. If we can rejoice equally in the virtuous actions, happiness and prosperity of all beings, we will overcome jealousy and hatred, and we will easily attain the realizations of compassion and love.

If we also rejoice in our own virtuous actions we will increase their power and overcome depression and discouragement. We sometimes make ourself depressed by dwelling on the thought ‘I have been practising for a long time but I do not seem to have achieved anything.’ By indulging in such thoughts we can become so discouraged that we feel like abandoning our practice. At times like this we should meditate on our own virtue. There is no doubt that we have practised virtue in the past because we now have a precious human life with all the necessary freedoms and endowments and we have the opportunity to learn and practise Dharma. This good fortune comes only as a result of practising moral discipline, giving, patience and stainless prayer.

Just as our virtue of the past is the cause of our present good fortune, so our virtuous actions of this life will bring future good fortune. Therefore it is entirely appropriate to rejoice in them. We can recall how many times we have listened to Dharma or read Dharma books, how many times we have practised meditation, or how many virtuous actions we have performed. If we remember these and appreciate them without pride we will be able to rejoice purely and thus greatly increase our virtue. Rejoicing in this way protects us from the great danger of abandoning Dharma. If we give up Dharma through discouragement we create the cause to go for many lifetimes without making contact with Dharma and to dislike Dharma whenever we meet it again.

The practice of rejoicing does not require great exertion. Gungtang Tenpai Drolma said:

If you want to practise great virtue even while you are relaxing you should practise rejoicing.

By cultivating this habit of mind we accumulate a vast amount of merit. Je Tsongkhapa said:

It is taught by Buddha that rejoicing is the supreme virtue.

beseeching the buddhas and spiritual guides not to pass away

Although the actual body of Buddha, the Truth Body, never passes away, the bodies that Buddha emanates to guide living beings do pass away. If there are no emanations of Buddha teaching spiritual practices in a particular world, that world is called a ‘barbaric land’. In such a place it is impossible to hear even one word of Dharma. Therefore we should entreat the emanations of Buddha to abide in this world for a long time to bring benefit to all living beings. Beseeching the Buddhas and Spiritual Guides in this way creates great merit.

requesting the buddhas and spiritual guides to turn the wheel of dharma

Forty-nine days after Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment the gods Brahma and Indra requested him to give teachings, saying:

O Buddha, Treasure of Compassion, living beings are like blind men in constant danger of falling. There is no Protector other than you in this world. Therefore, please arise from meditative equipoise and turn the Wheel of holy Dharma.

Buddha accepted this request and began to teach. As a result countless beings have attained liberation and full enlightenment and countless beings have the opportunity to practise Dharma. The kind requests of Brahma and Indra made it possible for us to find Dharma even in these degenerate times. In the same way, if we make requests to the holy beings, asking them to turn the Wheel of Dharma, we will accumulate merit and create the cause to receive Dharma in this and future lives. Indirectly, we will help all other living beings.

dedication

Dedication has six aspects: what we dedicate, the purpose of dedicating, the goal to which we dedicate, for whose benefit we dedicate, the manner of dedicating and the nature of dedication.

We dedicate our virtuous actions of body, speech and mind. The purpose of dedicating these actions is to prevent them from being destroyed or depleted and to ensure that we experience their good results. If we do not dedicate our virtue it can be destroyed by negative actions such as anger or holding wrong views. The final goal towards which we dedicate our virtuous actions is the goal of full enlightenment. We dedicate for the benefit of all living beings, thinking ‘Through the power of my virtuous deeds may I attain enlightenment for the sake of all.’ If we have realized emptiness, the manner of making our dedication is by recollecting that the three – the person making the dedication, the actions that are dedicated and the dedication itself – all lack inherent existence. If we have not realized emptiness, the manner of making our dedication is by considering that these three – dedicator, dedicated and dedication – all lack inherent existence. In the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras Buddha says that our manner of dedicating should unite method and wisdom. This practice is very profound because through this dedication both our merit and wisdom increase and we progress along spiritual paths. Dedication is by nature a virtuous mental factor; it is the virtuous intention that functions both to prevent accumulated virtue from degenerating and to cause its increase.

Whatever our wish may be, if we dedicate all our virtue to that end, our virtue will carry us to our goal. Our virtuous actions are said to be like a horse and our dedication like the reins. When we dedicate we are like a skilful rider who, by using the reins, can direct his horse wherever he wants to go. The Kadampa Teachers taught that whenever we perform virtuous actions there are two important things to remember: to begin with a virtuous motivation and to conclude with dedication.

offering the mandala

The word ‘mandala’ in this context means ‘universe’. When we offer a mandala to the holy beings we are offering everything – the whole universe with all its objects and all the beings who inhabit it. Since the merit we create when we make an offering accords with the nature of the offering, we mentally transform the whole universe into a Pure Land and imagine that all its inhabitants are pure beings and that all its objects are precious substances. We then imagine that we are offering this pure universe in our hands.

A child once filled a bowl with dust and offered it to Buddha Kashyapa, imagining that the dust was gold. As a result of this pure offering the child was reborn as the wealthy King Ashoka. Likewise, if we offer the world as a Pure Land filled with exquisite objects and precious symbols we will experience a result in accordance with the pure nature of our offering. If we wish for spiritual attainments we should offer a mandala every day.

requesting the field for accumulating merit in general and the lamrim lineage gurus in particular to bestow their blessings

Now we request blessings to attain three great purposes:

(1) To stop wrong thoughts and attitudes from arising in our minds

(2) To cultivate correct thoughts and attitudes

(3) To eliminate outer and inner obstacles to our Dharma practice

If we can perfectly accomplish these three aims we will attain enlightenment in this life. Although there are countless wrong thoughts and attitudes, there are sixteen in particular that we should know and strive to abandon because they directly prevent realizations of the stages of the path. They are:

(1) Disliking or having disrespect for our Spiritual Guide

(2) Not wishing to take the essence of our precious human life

(3) Not remembering death

(4) Being attached to the pleasures and happiness of this life alone

(5) Not fearing rebirth in the lower realms

(6) Not wishing to go for refuge to the Three Jewels

(7) Not having faith or conviction in the laws of karma

(8) Seeking to accumulate non-virtuous actions and not virtuous actions

(9) Regarding samsara as having the nature of happiness

(10) Wishing to increase delusions and contaminated actions

(11) Being uninterested in attaining liberation

(12) Not wanting to practise the three higher trainings, which are the causes of liberation

(13) Forsaking mother living beings

(14) Self-cherishing

(15) Self-grasping

(16) Disliking the practice of Secret Mantra

Corresponding to these there are sixteen correct thoughts and attitudes that we need to cultivate:

(1) Relying faithfully upon and having respect for our Spiritual Guide

(2) Wishing to take the essence of our precious human life

(3) Remembering death

(4) Not being attached to the pleasures and happiness of this life

(5) Fearing rebirth in the lower realms

(6) Wishing to go for refuge to the Three Jewels

(7) Having faith and conviction in the laws of karma

(8) Seeking to accumulate virtuous actions and not non-virtuous actions

(9) Regarding samsara as having the nature of suffering

(10) Wishing to abandon delusions and contaminated actions, which are the causes of samsaric rebirth

(11) Being determined to attain liberation

(12) Wanting to practise the three higher trainings

(13) Cherishing all mother living beings

(14) Forsaking self-cherishing

(15) Realizing selflessness

(16) Liking the practice of Secret Mantra

In addition to these sixteen correct thoughts and attitudes there are many other virtuous states of mind that we need to cultivate and for which we need to request blessings. For example, when we train our mind in the stages of the vast path of Sutra we cultivate special minds of great love, great compassion and bodhichitta; and based on these the determination to practise the six perfections of giving, moral discipline, patience, effort, mental stabilization and wisdom.

The realizations of the stages of the vast path of Secret Mantra – namely, the realizations of the generation stage practice of bringing the intermediate state into the path of the Enjoyment Body and the completion stage realization of the actual illusory body – are the essence of the stages of the vast path for which we need to request blessings. The resultant vajra body that is attained when we attain Buddhahood is the quintessence of all the stages of the vast path of Sutra and Tantra.

The realizations of the stages of the profound path of Secret Mantra – namely, the realizations of the generation stage practice of bringing death into the path to the Truth Body and the completion stage realizations of example clear light and meaning clear light – are the essence of the stages of the profound path for which we need to request blessings. The resultant Truth Body, or Dharmakaya, is the quintessence of all the stages of the profound path of Sutra and Tantra.

To remove all the wrong thoughts and attitudes mentioned above, and to cultivate all these virtuous states of mind in their place, we request the blessings of the Field for Accumulating Merit with the following prayer:

Please pour down your inspiring blessings upon myself and all my mothers, so that we may quickly stop all perverse minds, from disrespect for our kind Teacher to the most subtle dual appearance.

Please pour down your inspiring blessings, so that we may quickly generate pure minds, from respect for our kind Teacher to the supreme mind of Union.

Please pour down your inspiring blessings to pacify all outer and inner obstructions.

When we have made these requests we imagine that the blessings of all the holy beings descend from their hearts in the form of lights and nectars. These enter our body and mind, purifying our negative karma and obstructions, and increasing our merit, good qualities, life span and realizations. These blessings greatly increase our potentiality to gain the realization of the meditation we are about to do.

We then make requests to the Lamrim lineage Gurus, beginning with our principal Spiritual Guide, reciting the prayer three times:

So now my most kind root Guru,

Please sit on the lotus and moon on my crown

And grant me out of your great kindness,

Your body, speech and mind’s attainments.

Our Spiritual Guide emanates another form in the same aspect which comes to the crown of our head facing the Field for Accumulating Merit. With folded hands he then helps us to make our requests to the other lineage Gurus. We can recite the long prayer by Je Tsongkhapa called Opening the Door to the Supreme Path or recite the brief prayer beginning:

I make requests to you, Buddha Shakyamuni,

Whose body comes from countless virtues,

Whose speech fulfils the hopes of mortals,

Whose mind sees clearly all existence.

and ending:

I make requests to you, my kind precious Teacher,

Who care for those with uncontrolled minds

Untamed by all the previous Buddhas,

As if they were fortunate disciples.

After this we make a special request to gain the realization of whatever meditation we are about to do. Since in this instance we are about to meditate on how to rely upon our Spiritual Guide, we request in the following way:

I and all my kind mothers continue to take rebirth without freedom or control because we have not yet relied wholeheartedly upon our Spiritual Guide. Please bless us to gain this realization.

We make this special request three times and then imagine light radiating from the heart of Guru Buddha Shakyamuni to the outermost limits of the Field for Accumulating Merit. From the furthest boundary all the holy beings dissolve into light and gradually gather into the five central groups of Gurus. These in turn dissolve into light and gather into Guru Buddha Shakyamuni who comes to the crown of our head and instantly transforms our principal Spiritual Guide, who is at our crown, into the same aspect as Buddha Shakyamuni. Then we generate strong faith in Guru Buddha Shakyamuni, regarding him as in essence one with all the objects of refuge including our main Spiritual Guide. We offer again the practice of the seven limbs, reciting the short prayer of the seven limbs, after which we offer a mandala. Then we request:

O Guru Buddha,

In nature the wisdom Dharmakaya,

Synthesis of all Spiritual Guides,

Please bestow your inspiration.

O Guru Buddha,

In nature the Sambhogakaya,

Synthesis of all Buddha Jewels,

Please bestow your inspiration.

O Guru Buddha,

In nature the compassion Dharmakaya,

Synthesis of all Dharma Jewels,

Please bestow your inspiration.

O Guru Buddha,

In nature the Supreme Emanation,

Synthesis of all Sangha Jewels,

Please bestow your inspiration.

We repeat our request for blessings and make heartfelt requests to attain the realization of the meditation that we are about to do, recognizing how necessary it is to gain this realization if we are to attain liberation and enlightenment. At this point we can also recite the Prayer of the Stages of the Path included within the prayers for the six preparatory practices in Essence of Good Fortune.

In response to our requests Guru Buddha Shakyamuni radiates light which enters our body and mind, purifying our non-virtue and eliminating obstructions. In particular, it purifies obstacles to our gaining the realizations that we have requested. Our body is transformed into the nature of light and our mind develops a very strong potentiality to attain these realizations.

Now we have completed all six preparatory practices and we are ready to do our actual Lamrim meditation. Throughout the meditation we should remain aware of our Spiritual Guide, in the aspect of Buddha Shakyamuni, at the crown of our head. Whenever we experience difficulty in our meditation – whether it be distraction, laziness, or any kind of unpleasant feeling about the meditation – we can pause, offer a mandala, and request inspiration from Guru Buddha Shakyamuni, ‘Please help me to eliminate this hindrance and apply myself well to the meditation.’ Then we can again visualize the light and nectar descending from Guru Buddha Shakyamuni to our heart, eliminating our obstacles and blessing our mind with good energy to continue our meditation. If we practise like this, combining meditation with requests to receive inspiration and blessings, we will definitely gain realizations. Geshe Dag Powa said:

If we combine with our meditation the practices of purifying negativity, accumulating merit and making requests for inspiration to our Spiritual Guides and Yidams, there is no doubt that our mind will change. Since our present state of mind is impermanent, if we practise in this way repeatedly, although we may think we have no hope of gaining profound realizations, we will gain them quickly.

The essence of the six preparatory practices is contained in the prayers called Essence of Good Fortune and in a shorter practice called Prayers for Meditation, both of which can be found in Appendix II. The sequence of prayers explained above differs slightly from the sequence in Essence of Good Fortune, which presents a complete but less extensive system of practice. The prayers should be recited with each session of meditation. Our actual Lamrim meditation is done at the conclusion of the Prayer of the Stages of the Path or at the appropriate point within the prayer.