噶千仁波切2015年西雅圖弘法：0705 Fivefold Profound Path of Mahamudra (IIc) by H. E. Garchen Rinpoche－在靈感中翻譯佛法，在業力下努力微笑

噶千仁波切2015年西雅圖弘法：0705 Fivefold Profound Path of Mahamudra (IIc) by H. E. Garchen Rinpoche

So first, in the beginning we must recognize thoughts that arise, the subtle thoughts, smaller thoughts. We train in that during all of our activities. And that is necessary because we must actually gain the experience of recognizing a thought and then dissolving the thought. The experience that the thought can calm down, that we can actually let go of the thought if we sustain mindfulness—that is the experience that we need to gain. So, Milarepa has said that we must merge our meditation with our actual experience. What that means is that meditation must become an actual experience, the experience of actually liberating the thoughts. Not just 'meditating', but actually gaining the ability to experience through meditation that thoughts can be liberated, that we can let go of thoughts if we sustain mindfulness. That’s the experience. And it is a training, similar perhaps to physical training that we do in a worldly sense—we train our bodies, we do a lot of exercises. If we train, we can do all kinds of things with our hands and legs. We can see that in the world. But here, what we are training or exercising is our mind. So that is a training for all future lifetimes until we attain enlightenment. The physical training that we do with our bodies, is mostly just for this life, although maybe if we really create an imprint of physical exercise, we may become athletes also in future lives. But this will not lead to enlightenment, so we must train our mind.

So when we practice Mahamudra, we begin first with recognizing our thoughts; we sustain mindfulness. Then when we experience this meditation, that is, we experience all of the thoughts and afflictions—whatever arises and no matter what arises—it is all just a mental arising; it is all just the same. And knowing that, we can let it go and dissolve into emptiness. Then, no matter what happens on the outer level, no matter what problems arise on the outer level, the inner mind can perceive it as just like an illusory play So, even on the relative level we can see that. On the ultimate level, we can see that whatever arises is nothing but our own perception, our own thinking—it is just a 'mental' arising. And if you know that, you are able to continue remaining within a state of peace and happiness. So, to achieve this, the crucial point is to habituate.

Often a question comes from practitioners, who say: when I meditate, I don’t know how to meditate. They say: when I meditate, my state of mind is actually getting worse. I have many more thoughts when I meditate. When I meditate, all the afflictions come and I’m even more afflicted than before. Actually, there’s nothing wrong with that; that is actually a sign that you are really beginning to learn how to meditate. Because, before you meditated, you had no awareness of the thoughts that are actually always there. For example, if you have a room where the sun is not shining, and you look into the space of that room, you see nothing. It seems to be completely clear air in the room. So you see nothing—just emptiness. But then when the sun shines into the room, you can see that the entire room is filled with dust particles. There’s not even a space between the dust particles that you could put a needle between. It is completely full. So it is like the sunray of mindfulness that makes us see all the thoughts that actually are always there. Seeing the thoughts is actually a good thing because we must see those thoughts. Once we see those thoughts, then we can train in letting them be, and not following them. Then we can gain the experience that if we just let them be, just like waves on the water, they will naturally dissolve back into the ocean on their own.

So in the beginning we cannot recognize; we cannot let go of the coarser, more powerful thoughts, so we begin by recognizing the small thoughts. And actually, every small thought leads to a more powerful thought. No thought is powerful to begin with. It all begins as very subtle, so it is important to recognize when subtle thoughts arise. For example, attachment and aversion, or hatred, all have a subtle form when they first arise. So we should first recognize them in their subtle form. The subtle form of attachment for example, is hope. We want, we hope, to accomplish something. We have a wish: I want to accomplish this. I want to get this. Or if, for example, you practice a deity: I want to accomplish the deity. In whatever we do, in the world or in terms of the dharma, there is this hope that we will be successful. And that hope is a subtle form of attachment that gradually develops into the more intense form of attachment itself. So then, because we have this hope to accomplish something, there is naturally also a fear of not accomplishing that. So then we think: I really want to do that, to accomplish that, but what if I am not able to? What can I do—what will I do if I can’t accomplish that? So we are afraid that we will not be successful in our activities. So that fear—that subtle fear of not being successful—is the subtle form of aversion, or hatred. And this subtle form develops into a coarser form.

And so there’s hope and fear, or there’s an attachment and aversion. And then we hold those hopes and fears to be true; we cling to them. And that clinging to them is ignorance. So our hopes and fears are supported by ignorance because we think that this is how things are. That is why I want to accomplish this or that. And these hopes and fears that are sustained by ignorance lead to an ongoing stream of never-ending thoughts. So it is important first to recognize that. Actually, there’s no benefit in thinking about whether or not we will accomplish things. Of course we have to do things; we wish to accomplish something that we must focus on single-pointedly. But then, whether or not we will actually accomplish it depends only on our karma. For example, everyone wants to be rich. Everybody has that kind of hope, but only a few people actually get rich. Not everybody who wants to get rich does; it is up to one’s karma. So if you know that, already the mind can relax. So then, you can just think: I will leave it up to the deity. You supplicate to the deity and just leave it with that, knowing that it depends on your own merit whether or not you will be successful.

So first we change our way of thinking about things. And then, as thoughts arise, we discern whether or not they are actually useful thoughts—whether they actually are beneficial thoughts, or useless or harmful. So, recognize each of those thoughts as it arises— thoughts of hope and fear, 'I want to do this', or 'What if I cannot do that?'. And gain the experience of letting go of these subtle thoughts as they arise in their subtlest form. You do that with each and every thought, and with each thought that you let go, your wisdom increases. Once Naropa told the wisdom dakini Niguma: 'you need to nourish this spark of wisdom fire again and again with mindfulness.' Right now our mindfulness is weak, so therefore it cannot overcome very powerful thoughts. Just as a small fire can only burn little twigs and small pieces of wood; it cannot burn away big logs. But if you keep throwing small pieces of wood onto a small fire, the fire becomes stronger. And then it becomes a fire that doesn't stop burning—a large, blazing fire that can burn away anything you throw into it. So in the same way, in the beginning we must recognize the subtle thoughts, the smaller thoughts, as they arise and let them go one by one. Then, habituating to that, later on, as your wisdom increases you will also be able to deal with the more coarse emotions when they arise.

For example when you encounter great misfortune or bad sickness, you are in very great misery. In that moment, if you are able to meditate and let go of the thoughts about it, then the illness will certainly lessen. So you will certainly become free from suffering about this illness and you gain the experience of letting go of the thought. Letting go of the thought, it settles in its natural place. So on the relative level, when you encounter, for example, sickness, misery and so on, on the conventional level you know: this is my karma, and by this experience I am purifying this karma. And on the ultimate level also, you recognize that it all does not really exist. So there is no benefit in grasping at outer objects with the inner mind. Because they do not inherently exist, there is no benefit in grasping at them.

So, whatever arises you just let be, thinking 'let arise whatever may', and you just cut out the thinking about it. It is almost like becoming a crazy person. A crazy person doesn’t think about anything; they just do whatever they want to do. So they just aren't concerned about what happens around them. So, just like a 'crazy' person, you cut off whatever suffering-thought arises, and you just let it be. You let whatever may arise just be, no matter what happens, like a crazy person. You rest within the view, letting the mind just be as it is. And so by doing that, you will gradually be able to liberate any thought, whether coarse or subtle—whatever arises. And when thoughts are liberated, what remains is a clear state of mind.

For example, when anger arises and you 'liberate' or let go of the anger, then the state of mind that remains is a clear and stainless state. It is said that a lack of afflictions is a sign of meditation. So, whether you know how to meditate or not is therefore not something that you can ask someone else. But you can see for yourself whether or not you are able to let go of afflictions when they arise. And if you are, it is a sign that you know meditation.

In Dzogchen we refer to this as training the awareness. The thoughts arising become a 'training', an enhancing of awareness. And that awareness is enhanced by letting the thoughts be when they arise. When you let them be, they dissolve. And when they dissolve, the mind remains even clearer than before, with greater clarity. For example, when strong anger arises and you let it be, what remains is great clarity. And so the same is true for the other afflictions. Then later, when we 'die' in the ordinary sense, according to whichever of the afflictions is predominant, whether it is anger or attachment, that is where we will be born in samsara. But also, if mindfulness is sustained after death, then these afflictions actually become wisdom. So then at this point, through your practice, your habituation of Mahamudra in this life, you will become liberated from the suffering of samsara: 'With this, may I attain the empowerment of Mahamudra, which liberates from the samsara’s pains.'

So if we now become liberated from suffering—from suffering thoughts—then also later on we will not take birth again in samsara. The way in which we take birth in samsara is through habitual imprints in our body. When we are in the bardo state, for example, and attachment arises, if we do not recognize—if consciousness does not recognize this—then, due to this attachment to a body, whichever of the six afflictions is the strongest, the consciousness will enter this kind of womb. On the other hand, having sustained awareness when this happens in the bardo state, you are able to recognize that it does not really exist. Then, in the bardo state you can attain the freedom of awareness, and at that time you will attain the freedom either of being born in the pure lands or in this world to benefit sentient beings. That is, as a Sambhogakaya or Nirmanakaya, according to the needs of sentient beings. So in order to attain this, we need to attain the freedom of awareness, of the mind, and if we attain this now, then also later in the bardo we will have such a freedom—the freedom to become liberated from samsara.

So that is what Mahamudra teaches us: the way to become liberated from the suffering of samsara and how we can then not take birth in samsara again once when we come to bardo, but rather take birth in pure lands and so on. So this freedom of rebirth also depends on the freedom of the awareness that you must train in now for as long as you are alive. So then there is no need to think: I don’t know how to meditate, or I can’t recognize Mahamudra, or I do not understand Mahamudra. There is no need to think in this way; we can all train in recognizing. For example, when anger arises, and you recognize the anger—this recognizing, this conscious mind—that is Mahamudra. So what this conscious mind does is: it knows that is anger. It knows it is anger and it knows the faults of anger. And that awareness is the Guru, or it is the Buddha. And then you need to gain the experience of the dissolving of the thought, of the anger, if you do not hold onto it. So this is the experience that we must gain when we engage in meditation. So our meditation must be merged with actual experience. As Milarepa said, we must merge our view with awareness and we must merge our meditation with experience. So then there is actually no need to ask anyone about our meditation. There is no need to ask: am I meditating right or not? Do I know how to meditate or not? It is something you can really ask yourself. You can see for yourself.

[So Rinpoche said when we meet back then we will answer the questions that we got so far.]

Q: If a person is devoted to her teacher and hears another person talking negative and loud about the teacher. And the first person feels sadness, what should she do?

A: To begin with, don't feel sad. And then, people say all kinds of things, due to various conditions and also various thoughts and afflictions that arise in their own mind. So we should not pay too much attention to that, to what people say. So definitely do not get angry at the other person. Because if they are criticizing someone else, actually they are creating some negative karma for which we should feel compassion. And then, moreover, even if that teacher would have that fault, then that is still their own fault and doesn’t concern you. It is not your fault so it doesn’t actually harm you. So if the person, this teacher, does not have this fault, then especially there is no harm, because then it is just 'talk'. So when you hear that, instead of getting angry or sad, think of the deity, for example Tara, and pray. Make prayers that these obstacles will be cleared away for this teacher, that he will have a long life and so on. But do not listen too much; do not pay much attention to what other people say. And actually, there’s really no reason to get angry at them, because by criticizing others and so on, they are actually accumulating negative karma, and that will lead to suffering for them in the future, so you should have compassion for that.

Q: Rinpoche, I need help. I do not understand why, even though every day I say to myself 'the most important thing to do today is practice', yet I often do not do my practice. I do not understand, please help me.

A: So, actually every day you recognize 'I should practice', and actually this recognition—that 'I should practice'—actually that is practice. So actually you are practicing every day. And so then, whenever you can think of it, whenever you are able to, do whatever you can, I think, of whichever deity or mantra you like, for example Chenrizig, and recite a few mani mantras. Already that is practice. So what is most important, actually, is the intention to practice. And actually, if you always, every day seem to have the intention of practice, then actually you are practicing uninterruptedly.

Q: How can we benefit beings that we are caretaking, who are near death, in order to support their physical dissolution?

A: So you should see yourself as the yidam deity, if you are male Chenrezig, or female Tara, for example. And recite mantra for them, calling upon Tara or Chenrezig to support them. Because Tara’s compassion is what will actually benefit them. And also, when they are actually in the dying process, it is very beneficial to read to them the Samantabhadra Prayer and also the 37 Practices, close to their ear so they can hear it, because when they are dying, their mind is actually very clear. It doesn’t seem that way because they often cannot talk. But when they cannot talk, actually their mind is very clear. And at that time, any words of instruction are very beneficial and they will understand the meaning. So you can either read them those prayers, or you can also, for example, play a mantra CD of, for example, the Amitabha mantra and so on. And even if they only hear that, then certainly they will not be born at least in the lower realms.

So actually the time of death is very crucial. It is the juncture from which we will take birth, and that is the most crucial point that determines our rebirth. Actually if somebody who has not practiced anything—has not meditated their entire life—at the time of death, due to certain conditions, dies with a mind of love, then actually that will definitely lead to birth in the higher realms. So by helping them cultivate this mind of love, especially as companions or caretakers, we can really benefit them. And so at this point, there is no Buddhist or non-Buddhist. Often people say you shouldn’t say any Buddhist prayers to somebody who is not a Buddhist because they have no devotion to Buddhism and so on. But that is not entirely true. Because at the time of death then, the mind is very clear and anything beneficial can actually benefit their mind. And even though they are not Buddhist in their lives, their mind possesses Buddha nature. So here it doesn’t matter whether they really are devoted to Buddhism or not, but any words of advice or aspiration prayers can definitely benefit them. And also it is good to give them the blessing pills to eat before they die.

Q: Please talk about the ceremonial use of plant medicine during meditation to help transmute deeply habituated afflictions.

A: So any kind of substance that we take for our meditation is an outer condition. And it seems that this outer condition of the substances that we take can bring about some changes in our mind. And it is possible that there could be a small benefit, but definitely the benefit is temporary—only for the time being, only while you are under the influence of the substance. Things could appear differently and there could be a small benefit from that. For example, in the moment you can cultivate love and compassion and so on. But then it will not go to the root because it is an outer force, an outer factor, so it will not have the power to entirely transform your afflictions, the imprints in the mind, and it will not lead to the development of wisdom.

So in order to bring about an actual change, a lasting change, we should meditate with mindfulness, sustaining compassion without any substance. So taking these substances, whichever one it is, is a temporary experience. So it is more like taking a pain pill when you have a headache, for example, or like when you have some kind of illness that gives you pain, you take medicine. There is a temporary relief, so it seems to be beneficial, but it will not be beneficial in the long run. So cultivating actual mindfulness, wisdom and compassion—that is like actually doing some treatment to cure the illness and not just cover it up with a pain pill.

Q: On Saturday you taught that there is more merit in taking a vow, for example not eat meat and then doing the activity than in not taking a vow and doing it. Is the fault of breaking a vow greater than the merit of taking a vow and not keeping it? I’m afraid of taking a vow, for example to not drink alcohol or eat meat, because I’m not confident I can keep it one hundred percent. What if I break it? What are the karmic consequences?

A: So we have said that it is more beneficial to make a vow and break it than to have never taken a vow. That is because, if we do not take a vow, then we are not being mindful of what we are doing. Eating meat is a good example. Eating meat is naturally a fault. So if we are not taking a vow, then we are not mindful of this. Then we actually think that we can enjoy any of the five sense pleasures and that eventually leads to clinging and attachment. But if you have taken a vow then you always know, for example, that eating meat is not good. It is wrong to eat the meat of animals. Then even if you eat it, you know that this is a fault and you feel regretful for having eaten the meat, because you know it is wrong. So you always have an awareness that it is actually wrong. And that is why it is more beneficial to take a vow, because there’s always an awareness. If you have no vow, then you will not recognize that there is anything wrong with those activities and that leads to unmindfulness. And then you habituate to that, and eating a little meat leads to a lot, and so on, and so you develop habits, and it turns into a great attachment in the future.

So it is better to have a vow and to feel regret, even repeatedly. Because in that way, when we feel regret, we have mindfulness. Then we will not place these powerful imprints into our mind on an ongoing basis. Then, for example, each time you break the vow, you regret that and you confess that, and even though there will be some negative consequences from breaking the vow, there is also the consequence of regretting and confessing. So as a result, in a future life you might experience sickness, for example, but then because you regretted and confessed that before, you might find some treatment that will cure the sickness. Or if you have a difficulty you will find a helper who rescues you. But if you have not taken a vow, then you are not mindful of what is actually a wrong thing to do, and then you will never confess, you will never regret. And then you do the same thing, like eating meat, but then in the future life when that karma ripens, for example you get sick again, at that time the medicine will be of no benefit and then you will not be cured, no matter what treatment you use. So that is the working of karma.

Therefore it is better to take a vow than not to take a vow, even if we are not always perfect in upholding it. Because the crucial point of the negative karma as a consequence is our attachment to the sense pleasures. And so, when we have no mindfulness we become especially attached to things like eating meat or drinking alcohol or taking substances, like smoking and so on. And of these, actually the worst is drinking, getting drunk, drinking alcohol and taking these substances like smoking, and so on. And that is because these substances make us lose our mindfulness. And if we lose our mindfulness, then our wisdom channel is blocked, so our winds will not enter the wisdom channel, and then as a result we will take birth as an animal.

Q: Is it beneficial to refrain from eating animals? If one chooses to eat animals due to physical needs, what is a prayer or practice to do for the animal and accumulated karma?

A: So if you have to eat meat for health reasons, then at the time of eating meat you should eat the meat with mindfulness and compassion for the animal and recite a few mani mantras, for example, or think of Tara. And if you eat the meat with such mindfulness and compassion, then it is possible that you can actually benefit that being. At least that being does not have to take birth as an animal again. That is suitable, however, only if there is a reason that your health will not tolerate not eating meat. So if you really cannot not eat meat for health reasons, then you should at least eat the meat with this awareness. For example, you can recite a few mani mantra and then blow on the meat with compassion, and then you can eat the meat. Then at least the animal will not be born again as an animal. However, whenever you eat meat with unmindfulness, for the flavor and so on, then you are creating a karmic creditor that will come back in the future.

Q: Do you have any advice for how to balance yab-yum visualizations? I seem to spend more time on the male deity, especially if there are a lot of heads, arms, legs and implements. The consort often feels like a last minute add-on.

A: So especially with Chakrasamvara, for example, the visualization is complicated and even to just visualize the male, the main deity, is often difficult. So if you read the sadhana, you know this is the deity, but when you visualize you do not have to actually visualize every part in detail, like the hand, the leg, the implements, and so on. But just think that it is there—I am actually the deity. And it is more like a sphere of light—like the hands and legs are all spheres of light. Like a light-body. And then it is also clearer and easier to visualize together with the consort also as the same kind of light body. And so it is more important to actually focus single-pointedly and to have the divine pride, the awareness that I actually am the deity in this light-body form.

Q: My brother is probably going to prison for a very long time for not paying his taxes. He's a good person otherwise, but not religious. Do you have any advice for him?

A: So we have to pay taxes. Paying taxes is actually really important. Because paying taxes is a practice of generosity and also offering. We feel loyal to our country, America for example, and if we really want to benefit this country, one person cannot do so much to benefit the country. But if we pay taxes, then actually all the taxes are merged together, which then becomes a great benefit for the country. So we are actually contributing greatly to the country. So it definitely is not a good thing to avoid paying taxes. But then, once we have done that, it is, for your brother, first of all, good to regret that for these reasons, and to confess. And then to think that, by spending my time in prison, I am purifying this karmic debt, this fault which I have created myself, and during the time in prison to use the time to develop his mind, to observe all the guidelines and rules of the prison, to be hardworking, have good conduct, be polite, be kind to the other fellow prisoners and try to help them, and to think that I’m purifying the negative karma that I have myself created.

Q: If we are to offer up our self-cherishing to the mandala offering, is it best, then, to work up to offer as much self-cherishing as possible?

A: So the best way to offer up self-cherishing in the form of an mandala on an ongoing basis, all the time, is to think that everything I own—for example, my house, my possessions, and even my family—belongs to the Three Jewels. For example, the statues on your shrine. And I own nothing; I am only a servant of sentient beings. Everything I have is actually not mine. It is actually 'yours'—the Three Jewels’. And if you always think in this way, then actually there’s no harm in using the things that are in your house, because you always offer it up to the Three Jewels by thinking that I own nothing: 'everything I have is owned by the Three Jewels’. And then you never have this thought of 'I have this, this is mine, or I own this'. And then, in this case, it is suitable to enjoy or use whatever you have in your house. And actually this is the best form of mandala offering—to offer up our selfishness on an ongoing or daily basis.

Q: At the first moment that I recognize irritation arising, how can I transform it into patience so anger does not develop?

A: So the reason why our thoughts actually develop into anger is because we are unmindful—that is ignorance. We do not recognize it as it arises—its more subtle form. So when the subtle thought of irritation begins to arise, begin immediately with recognizing: I am on my way to getting angry, now I’m getting irritated and before long I am going to get angry. So immediately recognize that. After recognizing that, then you can think of any deity that you like, for example Tara, or Chenrezig. And recognize the anger, thinking that I must not be controlled by that, because there’s only fault in that. So when you actually recognize the fault as it arises, it is easy to let it go. Recognize it and then, in the next moment, think of your yidam deity. So the way to let it go is through mindfulness and then remembering another method like the yidam deity.

Q: Is there a Chakrasamvara that is a single figure and not yab-yum? Like a less complex figure?

A: You actually do not always have to visualize Chakrasamvara with the consort. You can also just visualize a single form of Chakrasamvara. The reason why we visualize also with a consort now is because, as ordinary beings, we have a dualistic view of self and others and of male and female. And because it appears to us in that way—as duality—we perceive male and female. That is why we visualize the union of the Yab and theYum, the male and the female. But finally, then, the ultimate goal of practice, the result, is to realize that within the mind there is no such duality. There’s no male and female or self and other. So the purpose of this practice, of visualizing the union, is to ultimately come to the point where you realize non-duality. So if you realize non-duality, if you understand that, then you do not have to visualize this merging or this union. Because ultimately, even if you begin with a union, this duality that you see, this union, in the end disappears.

Q: During the Chakrasamvara teachings you talked about the benefits of mantra recitation and said it would be good to listen to, or recite mantras 24 hours a day. Can you please teach us what mantras to recite for Chakrasamvara?

A: Actually it is not only Chakrasamvara, but you can practice any mantra. And actually the mantra that you practice in your sadhana and the mantra CD you play at home do not have to be the same mantra. So you can do one sadhana practice and play a different mantra CD; it doesn’t have to be the same. But the point of listening to the sound of the mantra around the clock is because it is the sound of Dharma. It is the sound of the mantra that has the power to destroy our ordinary habitual imprints regarding sound. And that is different than listening to samsaric or worldly songs. Because when we listen to worldly songs, they generate various emotions in us, and that again forms new imprints in the mind. So that is why it doesn’t matter which mantra CD you are playing—you can play any mantra that you like and it will help your mind to purify the habitual imprints regarding speech. But then, regarding your daily practice of recitation, it doesn’t have to be related to that mantra CD.

Q: It is difficult to be with relatives or friends that are angry a lot. How can I be with them and feel loving-kindness instead of fear?

A: So the way to be with somebody who is angry and difficult to be with, difficult to get along with, is to practice patience. That is, this becomes a benefactor for patience. And if you remain patient no matter what, no matter how angry they get, eventually also their anger will dissolve. So those companions that are harmonious and that you get along with—loving companions—are your support to increase your love. And the more difficult companions, who are resentful and angry and so on, they are your support to increase your patience. But both of them are supports. One of them for patience and one of them for love. And in the end, if you practice patience each time the person gets angry, you will eventually perfect the practice of patience. And through patience, you will be able to transform this fault into good qualities.

Q: If love and compassion are the only way to attain liberation, don’t we have to compassionately love ourselves as well? How is loving yourself and wishing yourself happiness selfish? Aren’t we also deserving of being loved as a part of all? I love my unique expression of Buddha nature. Is it selfish to be joyful and happy?

A: Actually, when we cultivate compassion for others and care for others, our own selfish mind will dissolve. And then that actually is our own greatest happiness. So we do actually love ourselves, but out of love for ourselves, we must also wish for the happiness of others. Because that is the only way we can find happiness for ourselves. Since we love ourselves, we want to be happy. But we need to know the method to actually attain happiness. And the greatest method to attain happiness for oneself is to cultivate compassion for others. And that is a skillful means that nobody apart from the Buddha had realized. If we want to benefit ourselves, we actually must cultivate compassion for others. So this is the best service to ourselves, because then the self-grasping will diminish. If we wish for our own happiness out of self-love, we will actually undermine our own happiness.

Q: Last year I asked you for teachings on tsa-lung or tummo and you told me to visualize the Ah character in fire in my lower abdomen and to place my inhaled breath into this Ah. I have done this every day. Should I continue to practice this or is there another step or further instruction I should follow?

A: Actually, you should just continue to do this. Visualizing the Ah at the navel is only a method for the mind to abide at the navel and for the mind to abide with stability, without distraction. When the mind abides at the navel, then the mind is very clear. So visualizing the Ah at the navel is a method for bringing the mind to the navel. And also, apart from that, it is actually very good for your health, especially for illnesses. For example, it cures illnesses related to cold as it generates some warmth in the navel area. And also it is good for disability of your mind. So actually this is a skillful means that can be applied to any other practice you do, any kind of meditation. You can direct all of your visualizations, your attention to the navel, so that the mind and winds abide at the navel.

Q: I have been thinking lately about how I have no map for this lifetime. It’s no wonder that I feel lost. I appreciate you sharing your compassion and understanding with us. I hope that I am able to follow you and maybe get some direction on where I am.

A: Actually the direction of life, the purpose of life, how we should go to make our life meaningful—to cultivate love and to protect this love with patience. As for meditation, the direction for meditation practice, it is enough to only practice a single deity. If you do not have one yet, you can, for example, practice Tara. Always just think of this one deity: have Tara appear in your mind, and recite the Tara mantra. Also, try to make good use of your free time; try not to waste your time in distraction. Whenever you have an empty moment, do something meaningful, for example you can spin a prayer wheel. Or, a method to sustain mindfulness all of the time is to practice the Om Ah Hung mantra recitation. And that is sufficient even if you cannot do any other mantra recitation. Or you can just pick a single deity, like Tara, and practice only that. And then Tara will be the protector of your mind. And for your daily life, the purpose or direction is that, whatever you encounter should naturally be an opportunity for you to help others. So there is no greater direction in life than to cultivate love and to protect that with patience. So if you have love and patience, then you have found the greatest meaning in life.

Q: Also somebody requested the 'lung' for the Chakrasamvara practice.

A: So, regarding the Chakrasamvara mantra, any mantra that we recite is so that we remember the deity; we think of the deity when we recite the deity’s mantra. So for Chakrasamvara, for example, there is a long one and a shorter one. We can just recite the essence mantra, the short mantra, which is 'om shri ha ha hung hung phat', or if you cannot always do that, you can actually, on a daily basis, only practice the Om Ah Hung. Within that, the enlightened body, speech, and mind of the deity is complete. And by receiving the blessings of the deity’s enlightened body, speech, and mind, the obscurations of your body, speech, and mind are purified and you receive the blessings of the deity and become nondual with the body, speech, and mind of the deity. So you can, for example, look at the image of the deity, like Chakrasamvara, and have it appear in your mind, and then actually just practice the Om Ah Hung. And that is sufficient to receive the blessings of the deity.

So back to the teachings. So we had some more questions today, we have completed the guru yoga, and we come to the Mahamudra now.

When we practice Mahamudra, it is said that if you understand it—if you realize Mahamudra—you attain enlightenment the moment you realize Mahamudra. So often people ask questions about that, have doubts about that, and they say: I do practice Mahamudra, and I understand Mahamudra, but I’m still not enlightened. So, in the Manjushrinama-samgiti tantra, it is said that with the tantric system, in just a moment, an instant, you are enlightened Buddha, a fully enlightened Buddha. It is just the question of an instant, the turning of thought in a moment, so in one moment you can be a Buddha and in the next moment a sentient being. Or, during the empowerment we have said that Maitreya had said: 'with the nature of mind, there is nothing that we need to remove from it, nothing to purify from it, and nothing new to add to it'. The moment you see the nature of the mind as it is, that is the Buddha, and there’s nothing new to place on it or nothing that needs to be removed from the nature of the mind. But the clear seeing of the mind—that itself is the Buddha and it is always there.

So we have said during the empowerment, look—truly look!—at your true nature. And when you truly see your true nature, you will attain true liberation. So when you see the nature of the mind truly, there is no doubt in your mind. All doubts will dissolve in that one moment, in that instant when you see that is the real nature of the mind. That is the actual Buddha. It is just like a cloud-free sky. If the clouds just vanish for an instant and you see the sun for just one moment, it is still the same sun; it is the real sun. You only have to see it for a moment. So what you see now for a moment is still the same nature that you will later habituate, that you actualize later when you attain enlightenment. So there’s nothing new that will be attained, or gained, through meditation. What you see now is just a brief moment. And the meditation is in order to sustain this moment, to extend this moment.

So we do see the nature of the mind, but then because we do not habituate it, we cannot always stay within the nature of the mind. So later, when we habituate this moment that we have seen, eventually we will always remain within this nature and then we attain the state of enlightenment, and it is still the same nature. So what we have seen now has not then disappeared. And it has not gotten any better at that time when we attain enlightenment. So that is the truthful word of the Buddha. So now we cannot see or habituate it, we cannot sustain it, because we are obscured by our habitual patterns, by the clouds of our thinking mind. It is our grasping at the 'reality' of our thoughts and what arises that obscures the mind. And when we meditate, we may see it for a moment and then again it disappears. It is said that seeing it in an instant purifies the obscurations of thousands of eons. That is because in an instant of clarity, all obscurations are gone. So what you see now is the actual Buddha, even if it is just for a moment, but there is not the slightest difference.

So Jigten Sumgon said that beings see the [mind's true] nature but they do not habituate it. We see it but then we cannot stay within that nature. It doesn’t stay; it always goes away, because we have not habituated it. So the crucial point is to habituate. And according to the Mahamudra system, we habituate through the four yogas [nal-jor zhi / rnal-'byor bzhi]. According to Dzogchen, we talk about four appearances and so on.

According to Mahamudra, the first of the four yogas is the yoga of 'single-pointedness'. That is when you first see the nature of the mind and you trust that that is the nature of the mind. And the second yoga is the yoga of being 'free from elaboration'. And that is when you train your mind with the thoughts that arise. You are struggling with the thoughts, trying to let go of the thoughts, letting them go. Here you are training your mind to the point where the thoughts do not affect you. So in the end the thoughts do not affect you any longer. Then the third yoga is the yoga of 'equal taste'. That is when you see that, when there are no more thoughts, then the mind of Buddhas and minds of sentient beings actually have a single basis.

So then you develop trust in that single basis. No thoughts harm you any longer; nothing affects you any more. But here you still need to meditate, to habituate. Then the fourth yoga is that of 'non-meditation'. So here it is effortless; there is no more deliberate meditation. Here you see that what you have seen before is the Buddha. And now it remains always, without change, the unchanging nature. And that is what we call the state of enlightenment. So at this point all doubts have been cleared away because you always remain in this nature. So therefore if you only see this nature for one moment, have no doubt that this is the true nature; have no doubt in this nature.

So when it comes to doubt and investigating things when it comes to our activities, when we have to do things, then it is beneficial to have some doubts, and to investigate, to examine the situation. But when it comes to the nature of the mind, then actually a lot of questioning and having a lot of doubts can become very harmful, because these doubts are actually the ultimate form of ignorance that prevent you from seeing the nature of your mind, or Mahamudra. So when thoughts are cleared away, and you recognize your own true nature, that is what we called Mahamudra. And when you see your own mind, then there’s nothing else that needs to be done. So then there is no doubt, there is no question about this nature. And that which prevents us from seeing this nature are the obscurations and negativities that we have accumulated since beginningless time. At the time of seeing, these obscurations are cleared away. The obscuration that actually prevents us from seeing is ignorance and at the moment of seeing there is no ignorance. There is no doubt. So, when you look at your mind and the doubts arise again, then in an instant think of the Guru and let go of the doubt. Be confident that what you have seen is the actual nature of the mind. It is the nature of the Buddha or the nature of the Guru.

So when doubts arise, think of your guru and you will receive the blessings of the guru's state of Mahamudra, and you will become free of doubts. Have no doubt that my mind is actually the Buddha—that nature of the mind. And when you attain enlightenment, then the mind is still the same; it has not gotten any better. And even if you wander in the lower realms for a long time, it hasn’t gotten any worse there. It always remains the same. The state of Mahamudra is an unchanging state; the actual nature of the mind is unchanging. It is always there and, through habituating, we can recognize that which is always there. So we first recognize the thoughts that arise in our mind, and that awareness that recognizes those thoughts, that recognizing awareness is the mind that you need to look at. That is the nature of the mind that we need to recognize. And that is the Guru, or the Buddha. And when you see that, at least in this moment there is no doubt. And so in the end, when you have finally resolved that this is the nature of the mind, then there are no more questions in the mind. And no more questions to ask anyone. There’s no more doubt in your mind. Then all obscurations are cleared away. It is only for as long as we remain obscured, that many doubts always arise in our mind.

In the Dzogchen teachings also, it is said that the basis, the path, and the result all are the Mind. So we abide continuously within the basis. And then the basis is always an underlying basis that continuously remains. Always there is the basis, the underlying basis. And the path is the ongoing practice to habituate this basis. And then the result is the purifying of all obscurations of the mind. Apart from that there’s no other result. So we are only clearing away the obscurations so that we can see the basis. There’s no other result than that. So therefore, in the beginning the basis is the mind, in the middle the path is the mind, and also in the end the result is the mind. The mind itself primordially is by nature the Buddha. And it is only due to the obscuration of self-grasping that we cannot see it. In order to clear away self-grasping, therefore, we cultivate love and compassion. Also in Dzogchen it is said that meditation is to develop the union of emptiness and compassion. Because it is of not much benefit to meditate within a state of emptiness for an extended time, it is more significant to cultivate love and compassion, and that will lead to the realization of Mahamudra, the nature of the mind. That will make us realize that our own mind—our own mindfulness—and the mindfulness of the guru are indivisible.

So, at last we come to the dedication. It says: “if you fail to polish with aspiration the two accumulations' wish-granting jewel, the desired fruit will not come forth, thus be assiduous with this dedication, the final point.” So, the two accumulations are the cause of merit, the cause of the accumulation of merit and the result of the accumulation of wisdom. So the cause of merit, of the accumulation of merit, is to engage in any activity in the world or the Dharma with a motivation of love and compassion. And that accumulates—the accumulation of merit, the cause of merit. And that cause will lead to happiness in all future life times, so therefore it is like a wish-granting jewel. And the result is the accumulation of wisdom. And so that results from the cause of merit. If you engage in activities of body and speech with a motivation of love and compassion, then eventually the mind will become free of self-grasping. And when the mind is free of self-grasping, then you realize the nonduality of self and others, you realize the nature of your mind, the Buddha nature. You become free of all afflictions and you realize non-dual, primordial wisdom. And so that is the ultimate truth, the result, the accumulation of wisdom. So through the accumulation of merit, self-grasping diminishes, and it leads to the ultimate result of wisdom. And the accomplishment of both accumulations—that is the enlightened intent, the mind of all the Buddhas. So dedication is necessary. Dedication secures the virtue we have accumulated.

So we need to understand, therefore, the qualities of dedicating and the faults of not dedicating. So what are the qualities of dedicating? Even if we just practice a slight virtue, if we dedicate that virtue there will always be a two-fold result: temporary happiness in the higher realms and the ultimate happiness of enlightenment. And if we do not dedicate our virtue, then those virtues will decline; we will lose these virtues.

There are four major causes that destroy our roots of virtue. First, if we do not dedicate, for example if we get angry, that will destroy our virtue—because we have destroyed the virtue which is love, and anger directly destroys the virtue of love. Anger is our true enemy, so that is the first cause that destroys our virtue. The second cause which destroys virtue if we do not dedicate it is regret, or if you cause regret in others. For example, if somebody bought a thangka or statue and there is something wrong with the thangka, and you tell them: 'oh, that’s a terrible thangka. You should not have bought that.' Then the person might regret that they ever bought that. And so if somebody had already bought something, even if it is not so good, we should always say that it is good. We should never say that it is not good, because then they will have a lot of regrets in their mind. And then that regret is your fault and will also destroy your roots of virtue and will hinder the accumulation of merit.

So it is best not to regret or even to say something that will cause regret in others. It is something to be very careful about. Then the third cause that destroys our roots of virtue is pride: we think 'I have done this and that.' If we feel very pleased with the virtuous acts that we have done, that destroys our root of virtue—maybe to a lesser extent then, but still. And the fourth cause is a corrupted aspiration, a corrupt dedication. So, for example you practice 'virtue', but your real intention is to bring some harm to somebody else. 'May this virtue cause harm to him'. So that is corrupt because actually our virtue should bring benefit to all sentient beings. Our intention should be that this virtue should lead all beings to enlightenment. So if we perform a corrupt dedication it will destroy our virtue, and moreover, whatever we wish for the other person then will actually ripen in ourselves in the future as a result.

So these are the causes that destroy virtue if you do not dedicate them. And Jigten Sumgon has taught the perfect dedication that causes our virtues to increase. That's the one we have on page 10 [of the Drikung Prayer Book]. It says: “By the virtues collected in the three times by myself and all beings in samsara and nirvana . . .” and so on. So: “collected in the three times” by all the Buddhas of the three times, all the Buddhas in samsara and nirvana. So all the Buddhas of the three times have the same intention and that is to benefit all sentient beings. So if you have the same motivation to dedicate just as they did, then your intention becomes one with all of the Buddhas of the three times. And you merge your merit, your virtue, with them and you receive their merit—the merit of all of the Buddhas of the past, the present and the future.

So the intention is to bring all sentient beings to enlightenment. And if that is the intention, then even the slightest virtue will perpetuate, and will never be exhausted until you attain enlightenment. And the accomplishment of that is due to the three powers. Number one is the power of your own motivation of love and compassion for sentient beings. Second is the power of all the Buddhas, so you’re merging your intention with the great intention of all the Buddhas. For example, America helps the entire world—like with finances—giving support to many countries in the world. So if you also contribute to that, then it is like you are supporting all of the countries; you are merging your little contribution with the great power of the country which then can support the entire world. So we are merging our virtue, our slight virtue, with the vast virtue of the Buddhas. And so then the dedication will become vast. And the virtue will become vast and increase. And so that is the dedication that we will read today as a conclusion. So we will actually do all of the dedication starting on page 9: “Dorje Chang, Tilopa, . . ”

“Om Mani Pema Hung Hri” [and dedication prayer in Tibetan]

So also I would like to thank Eric Gyamtso [Eric Fry-Miller] for this translation of the Heart of the Fivefold Mahamudra. He is translating from experience. He has completed a three-year retreat and has done many translations. So I’m very grateful for his doing these translations. And he is, like all the various translators who translate texts, really very kind. The texts are very precious.

~ 感謝Diane, Kaya, Xiaosong, Iris, Freda, Natalie & DJ（美國西雅圖直貢道場、臺灣普賢法譯小組等成員）英聽、中譯、校對與完稿，標點符號（）為同一名詞可作不同的解釋，［］為譯校所加的連接用語，為的是幫助讀者理解。本篇於2020.07.27圓滿。一切善德迴向上師長壽康健常轉法輪，文稿若有錯謬敬請來信指正：sstc.roc@gmail.com，感激不盡！