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：紅觀音灌頂英文繕寫

Red Chenrezig Guhyasamaja Empowerment by H. E. Garchen Rinpoche

First of all, my dharma friends, Tashi Delek ('hello') to all of you who have come here. And many of you came from very far away, or coming here might have been difficult. I thank you very much for coming.

First of all, we just ask if there is anybody of you who has actually never received any empowerment before. And that is from any lama, according to any tradition. Rinpoche would like to know if you have never ever received any kind of empowerment before. That is, if you have never received any kind of introduction or background on the meaning of empowerment. Most of you are old disciples, senior disciples, and are familiar with the benefits of the empowerment. But if you are completely new and you have never received empowerment before, then you require more introductions. So Jigten Sumgön said, “You receive the empowerment when the meaning of the empowerment dawns in your mind- stream.” So that means that by receiving, or having the vase placed on your crown alone, you are not necessarily receiving the empowerment. That is only a blessing. But receiving the empowerment really occurs from introduction to the way in which we can ripen our elements, aggregates, and sensory inputs that are currently 'unripe'. So if you have never received any empowerment before, and this is your very first time, could you please raise your hand?

Not so many.

So that is excellent. Many of you have received empowerment before. But for the sake of the few who haven’t, we will give some introduction. We have obtained the precious human body. This body is primordially, by nature, actually pure. Our body consists of five elements. On the outer level, we have the five elements. These five elements are by nature the five female Dhyani Buddhas. Within our mind, there are five afflictions when the mind is unripe. So the mind of sentient beings is controlled by their afflictions and karmas. And therefore they wander in the six realms of Samsara. So the cause of self-grasping leads them to wandering in Samsara. If the cause of bodhicitta—according to Vajrayana, the union of wisdom and compassion—arises, we can attain the result of actual enlightenment in a single lifetime and a single body, because we already possess the cause of enlightenment. We are only unripe. It is just like an undeveloped flower bud that is not yet open. But when we encounter the empowerment of Vajrayana and engage in practice, then this flower bud will open into a flower. Otherwise this flower bud will again become spoiled and wither.   So, when we engage in the practice of Vajrayana, we can attain enlightenment in a single lifetime, like a flower opening up. Once the flower has opened up, from one flower, countless more seeds will emerge. Likewise, once we have attained enlightenment for our own sake, we attain the kingdom of the Dharmakaya. Then, for the benefit of others, we manifest the Rupakaya, Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya in order to benefit sentient beings. So countless emanations appear. Often people say, for example, that when a lama dies, they have one tulku, one rebirth. They cannot have two. They can only have one rebirth. But actually, that is wrong. Because once one attains enlightenment, one can manifest a limitless number of manifestations.

Again, it is just like the flower, which shows us the nature of Nirmanakaya. The outer example is the flower; the inner example is the mind. When we engage in practice, having obtained a precious human body, this unopened flower bud will ripen. (The mind will ripen.) But in order for it to ripen, we require an introduction. Then when we receive the empowerment, a feeling arises. We think: if I actually engage in practice, this is the result I can attain. So that is why this introduction is very important to understand.

There is a text by Sakya Pandita with words of excellent advice, a very large scripture that many of you might have seen. There it says that if you really think about your body, your body is actually your enemy, not your friend. That is because of all the suffering that is created on the basis of this body. Because without this body, the mind has no needs, actually. So, in the quote in this text, it says that this body, as enemy, becomes the vessel of all the sufferings in the ocean of Samsara, for one who doesn’t know how to use it well. But for an intelligent person who knows how to use this precious human body well, it becomes a support for accumulating merit. So, having obtained a precious human body a single time, they make good use of it. Endowed with intelligence and merits, they make good use of this body and, as a result, they attain enlightenment in the Bardo. For their own benefit, they attain enlightenment in the pure land of Sambhogakaya. Therefore, for them the body becomes a support of great merit. In that sense, the precious human body is the source of endless merit.

But if we don’t know how to use this body well, because we have this body, our six sense doors become attached to the five sense pleasures. And that makes imprints on our mind stream that will follow us from lifetime to lifetime, and will plunge us into the six lower realms, further and further. First, due to ignorance, we are born into the animal realm, and then as a hungry ghost, and then in the hell realm, and so on. We will encounter a lot of misery. So from that perspective, our body has become like an enemy. So that is why, according to this quote, if an intelligent person uses it well, it becomes a support of merit. That is why encountering the skillful means of the holy Dharmas, especially the Vajrayana, is really very important. Often similar sayings were passed on, from Marpa to Milarepa, for example, as well as others. According to Vajrayana, if you understand its meaning, the practice of Vajrayana can become very beneficial and very powerful. Therefore, it is good to understand its meaning.

In general, we have said that the precious human body is very rare. It is very rare to find the precious human body of the six realms of Samsara. It is said, for example, that in terms of how rare it is, if you take the fingernail of your thumb, the dust particles that can collect on it are not so very many. This is as many as all of the human beings there are, as compared to other realms. But not only that! Even though we have obtained a human body, even among humans, it is extremely rare to find beings that possess all 18 fortunes and freedoms. There are 10 fortunes—of which five are personal and five circumstantial—and there are eight freedoms.   So it is very rare to have all of these together. For example, of the five circumstantial fortunes, first of all, Buddha has appeared; Buddha has taught the dharma; the dharma still remains; there are still people who follow the dharma and so on. Some of them are not so difficult to have complete. You all have them complete. But there are some of these personal fortunes that also must be complete in order to actually enter the dharma. To have all these qualities complete is very rare. Therefore, we can actually rejoice to have obtained a precious human body and to be fortunate enough to have entered the dharma.

Within the Buddha’s teachings, there are the paths of Pratimokṣa, Bodhisattva, and Vajrayana. Of these, the Vajrayana path is the path that provides a method to attain enlightenment in the single lifetime and single body. That is what this empowerment belongs to, the Vajrayana path. One difference between the Sutras and the Tantras is the empowerment. We follow the path of the sutras, for example, when we practice according to the 37 Bodhisattva practices—that is the method to attain enlightenment through several lifetimes. The Vajrayana path is a method that is based on Bodhicitta as well, but it also provides the skillful means of the creation stage, visualization of the deity, and the mantra recitation. That becomes the skillful means used to purify the habitual imprints of our body and speech through visualization and mantra recitation, thereby attaining enlightenment in a single lifetime and a single body, either in the first or the second Bardo.

So that is the profound path of the Vajrayana. In brief, that is the meaning or purpose of conferring the empowerment—so that we may engage in this Vajrayana practice. When we engage in Vajrayana practice, the special quality of this practice is the visualization, the creation stage and mantra recitation. Through the visualization of the creation stage, we are purifying the habitual patterns or imprints of the outer speech and outer sounds and our inner speech. Of this empowerment, the historical background comes from the Guhyasamaja, which means the 'gathering of the secrets'. It is very precious. It is called the gathering of the secrets because 'secrets' here refers to the countless Buddhas of the three times that have turned the wheel of dharma endlessly, and the 'gathering' here means that this is the collected essence of all of their teachings. It thus signifies the essence of all the teachings of Buddha, what the Buddhas of the three times have taught. That is the meaning of the gathering of secrets or Guhyasamaja.

In order to understand and receive the empowerment, the history is also very important. So I will first read the historical account of the empowerment of the great compassionate one, Guhyasamaja, which is called 'the jewel garland'. Before receiving the great empowerment of the great compassionate one, Guhyasamaja, with the empowerment of the 1,002 Buddhas, a brief historical account will be given, which consists of five points: the story of the Bhagavan, the 'blessed' or Great Compassionate One; the way in which he taught Tantra; the way in which his instructions were transmitted; the purpose of this practice; and the way in which this practice bestows blessings more quickly than others.

First, with regard to the story, having attained complete enlightenment countless eons in the past, the noble Great Compassionate One arose, by virtue of his previous aspirations, to act for the benefit of beings according to their needs. With his mind unmoving from the Dharmakaya, which pervades all of samsara and nirvana, the Sambhogakaya Vairocana, illuminator of the universe and the infinite ocean of the Five Dhyani Buddhas, arose. From the palms of his hand and each pore of his body, a limitless world system emerged. Within them, Nirmanakaya emanations appeared in order to act for the benefit of the beings there. In this world system, which is as limitless as the grains of sand in the Ganges Rivers of a billion universes, 1,002 Buddhas will appear in order to act for the benefit of beings. In this great billion-fold world system, these Buddhas will enact twelve enlightened deeds, which are as limitless in number as the smallest motes of dust of the four great elements in an intermediate thousand-fold world, in order to act for the benefit of the beings. In each of the billions of worlds, there appeared Bodhgaya, the Vajra seat of all the Buddhas – Shakyamuni Buddha, Avalokiteshvara, Padmasambava, King Songtsen Gampo, and the main temple of Lhasa. All appeared in order to act for the benefit of beings. It is said that each of the 1,002 Buddhas of the fortunate eon is an emanation of the Great Compassionate One, Avalokiteshvara. Therefore, in all the mandalas described in all the new and old transmissions of Tantra, there appears an aspect of the Great Compassionate One’s manifestation. Because the secret body, speech, and mind of all the Buddhas of all the ten directions are gathered within the Great Compassionate One, he is also referred to as Guhyasamaja, 'the gathering of secrets'.

Second, with regard to the way in which he taught Tantra, he manifested in a distinct form in each realm, such as the Buddha Shakyamuni [and others], and expounded the limitless new and old transmissions of Tantra, including dharani and realization cycles, such as the Amogha Pasha, the Meaningful Lasso Tantra; the purification tantras, such as the Lotus Crown Tantra, the Lotus King Tantra of the Mahayoga Tantras; the Profound Lotus Tantra and the Ultimate Family of Supreme Wisdom Light of the Anuyoga Tantras; the Condensed Heart Essence Tantra, the Tent of the Lotus Heart and so forth. In particular, he expounded the Guhyasamaja Tantra to the emanated retinue of the Buddha Amitabha in the perfect pure land of Dewachen. The Dakinis inscribed it with lapis lazuli ink on a golden scroll and concealed it as a terma at Mt. Daliwangpok. Later the Great Compassionate One released the seal of secrecy and imparted the teachings to Orgyen Rinpoche (Guru Padmasambhava).

Third, with regard to the way in which his instructions were transmitted, Orgyen Rinpoche bestowed the entire set of empowerment and transmissions to his 25 main disciples, including Langdro Lotsawa Thereupon, under the auspices of Padmasambhava, the assembly of Guhyasamaja deities clearly appeared directly before them. At that time, the favorable conditions of Langdor Lotsawa's predestined commission were in place. After having made pure aspiration prayers, the golden scroll was hidden at Namkhe Chendak, the 'stairway to space' rock. And Guru Rinpoche foretold that it will be revealed in the future by a reincarnation of Langdro Lotsawa.

Just over 700 years later, to inspire confidence in people, Ratna Lingpa revealed the terma among a crowd of people. At that time, the mountain god of Khare appeared directly to the master and his disciples, and snatching iron webs on the rocks he said, “The terma is here and I will be its protector. Go receive your father’s heritage.” Having spoken thus, five rainbows resembling silken clouds appeared over the peak of mountain Khare, the sky mountain. At the stairway to space rock, all directions were enveloped in a dome of rainbow lights. Because the terma was thus revealed with such miraculous signs, faith was inspired in everyone. According to the prophecy given by the protecting Mamo of the secret mantra, the terma was brought to the region of Pen. Seven rebirth pills made from the flesh of one born seven times as a Brahmin and then transformed through the terma into the flesh of Avalokiteshvara were distributed among the crowds.

During a public empowerment, a magnificent, unceasing rain of flowers of at least the size of wild roses showered down. Furthermore, throughout the consecration of numerous vases, blessing pills multiplied and a saffron scent wafted through the air. Many inconceivable miraculous signs, such as rains of flowers and domes of rainbow lights, appeared. Thus the prophecies of the 25 disciples were fulfilled and the teachings were further transmitted to other suitable and karmically destined disciples. The principal holder who received the transmission of these teachings was the master Chodrak Gyamtso, the 7^th Karmapa. Through this interdependent connection, the cycles of the Guhyasamaja zhitro were transmitted to the Karmasu Kagyu lineage, a sub-lineage of Karma Kagyu. In the Compendium of the Dharma Lord’s Disciples' Sealed Writings it says: “Later in future times in the southern region of Kham at the base of a mountain resembling an eagle, in an area called Mok, an emanation of myself, Padmasambhava, a bodhisattva abiding on the bhumis with the name 'Self-arisen lake-born bhadra', Rangjung Tukje Dorje, will be born either in the year of the bird or dog. The past imprints of Gyalwa Choyang of Nganlam, one of the first seven monks in Tibet and one of the 25 disciples of Padmasambhava will be awakened and he will bear my signs. As he will be the lord of the four cycles of the condensed Nying-thig and especially the Hayagriva Guhyasamaja, long life pills are included in this terma. This terma must be hidden until future times before this world comes to an end. At that time this teaching will be meaningful.”

Fourth, with regard to the purpose of this practice, some of the limitless benefits of meditating on this deity are as follows: The protector Avalokiteshvara is the embodiment of all the Buddhas. The meditation on his body mandala is meditating on the mandala of all the Buddhas of three times. By merely thinking of him, all samsaric thoughts will cease. Outwardly there are six syllables. Inwardly there are ten syllables. Secretly there are seven syllables, including 'Shri'. But whichever syllables you recite, its benefits are beyond words. In brief, the Lotus King Tantra says: “By reciting the syllables once with devotion, sentient beings will be freed from hellish abodes. Reciting them twice closes the door to the hungry spirit realm. Reciting them three times closes the door of the animal realm.” The Condensed Heart Essence Tantra says: “The virtue that will establish all sentient beings of the three worlds, without exception, in the level of Buddhahood is the seven-syllable mantra. If one is able to recite these syllables once, the virtue of this is incalculable.” The 108 Names of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra says: “If you direct your mind to the noble Avalokiteshvara and recite Om Mani Padme Hum, you will not take birth in lower states; you will not go to endless torture; at the time of death, you will take birth in Dewachen.” In the Ratnakaranda Sutra, the 'sutra designed like a jewel chest', it says: “Reciting the six syllables one time is of greater merit than to establish the beings of the four continents on the seventh Bodhisattva bhumi.”

Fifth, with regard to the way in which this practice bestows blessings more quickly than others, in these final 500 years, at the time when the compassionate energy of other deities declines and the blessings of other dharma fades and disappears, the blessings of the great compassionate one will be swift. The dharma of the six syllables will rise and its blessings will be great. Padmasambhava’s prophecy says: “When the dharma comes to an end, the great blessings and compassion of the gathering of deities will gather into the six syllables. A time will come when the people amuse themselves with singing the Mani mantra and dancing to it, and selling it on the market. And the people of eastern Tibet will uphold the teachings of the six syllables. The sound of dharma of the Mani will spread in the East.” The concluding words by the author, Karmaraga Asyen: “These teachings appear to be the special transmission for eastern Tibet in general and to myself especially.”

It is very beneficial just to hear the historical background. Then also we understand, for example, the benefits of the Mani pills, which are also blessed by Avalokiteshvara. We really want to engage in its practice when we hear the story. The various types of liberation are also blessed by Chenrezig. For example, there is the liberation by seeing: when we just see some letter, some syllables and that plants a seed of liberation. These are also blessed by the great compassionate one. Then there are the blessing pills, which is called liberation by tasting. We eat those blessing pills. For example, when we give them to animals and also humans, even if they cannot practice in this lifetime, by just eating these pills, throughout several lifetimes they will slowly attain enlightenment. So first they might be born in the god realm, and then the human realm, and slowly, gradually, attain liberation from suffering. So that is liberation by tasting. And then, there’s also liberation by hearing. For example, hearing the sound of the Mani mantra. Therefore, it is very beneficial, first of all to recite it for oneself, but also for others to hear it. Those who hear it will have the seed of bodhicitta planted into their mind-stream. This practice is of the lineage of Guhyasamaja, the Great Compassionate One. This form of Chenrezig. I have a very strong personal connection to this form of Chenrezig, this practice, through my monastery, the Gar Monastery. In the old days, this dharma was revealed by Ratna Lingpa. In that terma scripture, there is a prophecy. In that prophecy there is actually a foretelling of one of the incarnations of Gar,   Gar Tenzin Phuntsog, which was the first emanation who started the second monastic seat of the Gar lineage, which is our Gar monastery now. So he was already foretold in this terma scripture, this prophecy. Ever since the establishment of our Gar monastery, we have conducted the practice of the Mani (blessed those Mani pills) and also various vase and vase blessings and so on continuously.

After I was released from prison, we started to rebuild the monastery. Everything was demolished. We started to rebuild the monastery. Our monastery was very small, but at some point, some high Chinese officials of the government, army officials touring around, came to visit our monastery. Our monastery is very small and also in a quite remote place. There was actually no real road at that time. But they came to visit our monastery and were quite amazed by the prayer wheel that spins there, 24 hours around the clock, day and night. They said, of the 700 monasteries in that district, although quite small, “Yours is the only one that has this special prayer wheel that spins all the time.” So, as a gift, they said they would give us 500,000 Chinese Yuan as an offering. The prayer wheel is still there now actually spinning day and night. This very special Mani wheel comes from the time of dharma king Songtsen Gampo, who received it as the dowry of a Chinese princess, and then entrusted it to his minister Gar Dong-ten. Ever since, the Gar line has taken charge of this prayer wheel and it was established at the Gar monastery.

And there it has circled continuously ever since, except during the time when I was in prison. But when I was released from prison, we started it again, and there were many requests to start the Mani retreat—the Drupchen of the Great Compassionate One—anew. Each of the Drupchen performances, a Drupchen retreat, takes about eight days. And annually, we have done at least nine Drubchen, as many as 10 to 13 every year. During that time they practice day and night, all the time. Some never actually sleep for 24 hours during that time. So, it is also strongly related through a personal connection to our monastery. Throughout the turmoil in the revolution, nothing has happened to the prayer wheel. It is still there. It has been there continuously. We continue to do the practice of this retreat following the practice lineage of blessing. So it is really a very precious practice, especially to me personally.

This practice of the Great Compassionate One, Guhyasamaja, has an outer, inner, and a secret aspect. The outer practice of this Tantra is that the Great Compassionate One represents the essence of all the deities. So, this is the basis from which all the deities, the peaceful and wrathful deities and so on, arise. First, from this basis, there appear the five Buddha families, the five Dhyani Buddhas.

So, from the Great Compassionate One, the Five Dhyani Buddhas with their consorts arise, and then the eight Bodhisattvas and the eight female Bodhisattvas, and then the six Buddhas of the different realms, the 1,002 Buddhas of this eon, and the various wrathful deities and so on, performing all of the four enlightened activities. So there are countless different deities, countless different sadhanas and practices, and they all gather within this deity, the Great Compassionate One. So that is the outer aspect of the Great Compassionate One—the 'gathering of the secrets' within the deities—all the deities gather. So that means that, even though there are countless different deities and different mantras, the practice and recitation of the single deity or many deities is exactly the same, because they all gather within this one essence. So that is the outer aspect of the Great Compassionate One. Then, by engaging in its practice, we purify the ordinary imprints of body, speech, and mind, and receive the blessings of the deities’ enlightened body, speech, and mind. Within that essence, all the deities are One.

Then the inner aspect of the Great Compassionate One, the 'gathering of secrets': What is the essence of all these outer practices of the various deities and so on? What is the essence of the Great Compassionate One, this deity? The essence is Great Compassion; he is the embodiment of the Great Compassion. In the sutra, for example it is said: “Therefore, Chenrezig is the father of all the Buddhas and Tara is the mother, or the Dharmakaya Great Mother.” So the essence of all the deities is a mind of love and compassion. And if that is not there, if love and compassion are absent, then the deity becomes just a worldly god, not actually a deity. So Chenrezig is the embodiment of Great Compassion. And that is the nature of all the deities. Therefore, it is said the 84,000 different dharma teachings are all gathered in Bodhicitta, so that is the actual 'gathering'. Love and compassion is the actual result to be obtained. So that is the inner gathering of secrets. When we practice the mandala of this deity, what we actually need to accomplish, what we need to get from this practice is love and compassion. Then we understand that the countless deities (Buddha emanations) that appear, the countless mantras and forms of deities, all gather within that single essence of love and compassion. So, you meditate on that yourself, you practice the deity, and when Bodhicitta arises within your own mind, then that mind itself becomes the deity. That is because already, to begin with, we possess the Buddha nature. Therefore, the qualities arise within our own mind and are not somewhere external to us.

Then one might wonder: if I do possess the Buddha nature, why am I in Samsara? It is due to self-grasping. Because we perceive a self, there also is a perception of others: that is dualistic grasping. So, we first must eliminate this grasping, this perception of a self. Then that leads to 'the secret', the   'gathering of secrets', or Guhyasamaja. And that is to realize that the Buddha and sentient beings are actually non-dual. The mind of sentient beings is just like blocks of ice floating on the ocean. The ocean water is like the mind of the buddhas. All the people in this world—the sentient beings in this world—their mind is like ice. Although the nature of ice is actually water, temporarily, the quality is like a rock. So when ice blocks bump into each other, they are in conflict. So this is where all the imbalance on the outer, inner, and secret level in this world emerges from. When we give rise to love and compassion, the ice can melt, because ultimately it is not a rock, but water. So, when it melts, self-grasping dissolves. Then the mind becomes one with the mind of all Buddhas, or the ice becomes one with the ocean. Then there is no conflict. For example, there are many waves in the ocean. But no matter how many waves there are, the waves are never in conflict with one another, although there are many.

Ultimately, when one attains the state of Dharmakaya for one’s own purpose, one realizes non-duality. That actually is the ultimate empowerment. Milarepa explained the outer, inner, and secret aspects of the empowerment. He said,

The outer empowerment is to have the vase or the torma placed on your crown. The inner empowerment is when your body arises in the form of the deity. When the body arises in the form of the deity, your sense sources, aggregates, and elements all ripen to the form of the deity, just like a flower bud opening up and ripening. It ripens through the force of Bodhicitta. So when self-grasping ripens, it becomes an altruistic mind. It is just like the flower. Then the flower bud meets with water and sunlight, and finally blossoms and opens up. Once the flower opens up, many more seeds and fruit can emerge from a single flower. So then one has become ripened and liberated. The 'gathering of secrets', or Guhyasamaja, is to realize non-duality. Understanding that is to understand that all can attain enlightenment.

So this is how Milarepa has explained the outer and secret aspect of the empowerment. The outer empowerment is to have the vase placed on your crown. The inner empowerment is to see your form in the form of the deity. Then he said, the secret, the actual, the ultimate empowerment is to realize the single non-dual union, the nature of your mind. So that is when the body has ripened into the deity and there is no more self, you realize that sentient beings and Buddhas are actually indistinguishable, and you attain enlightenment. When you realize that, you recognize that within the mind, that mind itself, there is no duality. Realizing that is the ultimate empowerment.   As Milarepa said, this unity, in this singular union, there is no duality. When you realize—when you resolve clearly that within the nature of mind there is no duality—then you have received the ultimate empowerment. So we understand the empowerment gradually, by understanding its outer, inner and secret aspects.

[recitation of the 100-syllable mantra]

The root of suffering of all sentient beings in limitless space is self-grasping. The self-grasping of all sentient beings in the three realms and the self-grasping of one person are exactly the same. So, gather in your mind all the self-grasping of all those beings in the entire universe, and offer up the entire universe and all the sentient beings in their self-grasping to the Buddhas abiding in the space, and think that, in return, all beings and yourself receive the love and compassion of all those Buddhas. So thinking in this way, we offer a mandala.

We do that mandala offering in English (Page 4 of the Drikung Prayer Book):

[in English: “The ground is sprinkled . . .]

Now, again, we think that in the space is principally the deity, the great compassionate one Avalokiteshvara. In an instant, all the other Buddhas of the ten directions and three times, the 1,002 Buddhas and so forth, all appear like clouds in the sky and gather around him. Think that from the expanse of the Dharmakaya, the Sambhogakaya forms of those Buddhas appear, like rainbows or clouds in the sky, for the purpose of benefiting sentient beings. Then think that the blessings and empowerment pervade the entire space, and shower down like raindrops falling, and all sentient beings receive those blessings. This is the same visualization as in doing the mandala. In a similar way, we also visualize, we 'imagine', doing the supplications that follow now.   Actually I, conferring the empowerment, become the translator: I am translating the blessings of the Buddhas to you. But actually, the blessings of the Buddhas pervade space, the Dharmakaya space, and are given to us by those Buddhas.

[Recitation in Tibetan, followed by English:]

HUM! Embodiment of the Buddha's Great Compassion, precious supreme guru of secret mantra, self-nature of the great secret empowerment, having purified the obscurations of body, speech, and mind, of us fortunate dharma brothers and sisters, Protector, please grant us the highest wisdom of the four empowerments.

[Recitation in Tibetan, followed by English:]

NAMO! From now on, until attaining enlightenment, with respectful three doors, I take refuge in the three roots and three jewels, and all the sacred sources of refuge. I confess all negative deeds, such as the ten non-virtuous actions. I give rise to the Bodhicitta of aspiration and will engage my body, speech, and mind to bring about the benefit and happiness of beings.

Jigten Sumgön has said that the preliminaries are more profound than the main-part practices. The preliminaries of any of the four lineages, of any dharma path, is Bodhicitta. And Bodhicitta consists of the aspiration- and the activity-Bodhicitta. When we receive an empowerment, the actual power, the freedom that we actually need to find, is first that of the mind, the freedom of the mind. The reason why we have not yet found that freedom of mind is because we are controlled by our afflictions due to self-grasping. And that will again and again lead us to wander in the six realms of samsara. If we attain the freedom of Bodhicitta, then those six afflictions transform into the six Paramitas and we attain enlightenment.

So the purpose of empowerment is really to attain the freedom of mind, that kind of freedom. First, we have said that from now on, until attaining enlightenment, 'I will give up, or 'confess', all negative deeds', such as ten non-virtuous actions. Before we begin to cultivate Bodhicitta, we must have the aspiration to give up harming others. We first must have a wish to give up all negative actions that harm all sentient beings. Once we have this aspiration, then we can enter the aspiration to benefit sentient beings and the activities to benefit beings. Then we say, 'I will bring about the benefits and happiness of beings with body, speech and mind'. That is, once we have taken a commitment to giving up harming others, then also we must engage in their benefit through the activity-Bodhicitta, with a wish to benefit all beings, and especially those companions who are always around you—like your family members, your parents and your friends, your teachers—and also those enemies and obstructers, those who hurt you—all those around you, all those companions. You should always have a wish to benefit them as much as you can, and try to help them if you can, with a wish to benefit all beings in whatever you do. For example, even if it just means to give a little bit of food to an animal.

So it is most important to always have this wish in whatever I do, with body, speech, and mind: 'may there be benefits to beings'. Of these, the mind is most important. First, when we give up harming others entirely, that actually leads to the Pratimokṣa vow. Second, once we give up harming others, we also want to benefit them as much as we can. For example, speaking to them, benefiting them through our words, or having always a wish to benefit them in our mind. And if you always have this wish to benefit others in your mind, even when you are sleeping, you continue to accumulate merit, all the time. Even if you do not do anything with your body and speech, if you always have this wish to benefit others, naturally you will always accumulate great merit. This is really the basis on which we obtain the empowerment.

In the empowerment text it mentions the Samaya of the three secrets that we should not break—our Samaya of the three secrets. Here what is most important in terms of keeping the Samaya, is to keep a pure perception. Here in the empowerment it says, if you don’t keep the Samaya, it will be your own ruin. That is, when you lose your mindfulness, and your love and compassion, and therefore get angry, resentful, and aggressive towards others, then that is very dangerous—that will lead to your own ruin. And so, because of the danger of breaking one’s Samaya, once one has received the empowerment, often people say that it is better not to even receive the empowerment, so that you can’t break the Samaya. But, actually, Jigten Sumgön had said that there is a greater fault in not receiving the vow than in receiving the vow and then breaking it. Why is that? How do we lose our vow? We break our vow if we lose our love for others. So, the ideal way of keeping the Samaya is to sustain the pure perception at all times, perceiving others and oneself as the deity, because ultimately all beings are actually pure, they all possess Buddha nature, so they are really the deity. That is really the most important secret of those three secrets. The secret Samaya is to understand that all sentient beings are pure by nature and they only appear as sentient beings temporarily, but their mind actually is the cause of the Buddha. Therefore, even though now we see sentient beings, they really are actually Buddhas. They really are actually pure. That should always be in your mind: that is a pure perception.

Secondly, when anger arises, when you get angry with others, or aggressive towards them, and so on, then you lose the Samaya—the Samaya degenerates. However, if you have not received the vow of the empowerment, and you get angry and aggressive toward others, still, it will plunge you into hell because that is the nature of anger. So anyway, whether you have taken the vow or not, if you get angry and aggressive towards others, you will still fall into hell. But then, if you have taken the vow and get angry and break the Samaya, at least you have some awareness and you know this is wrong, so you’ll confess that. Then, as a result of confession, even if something will ripen from that, it will be much lighter. For example, even if not all the negative karma is purified, but because you have confessed in the past, then in the future some suffering might ripen, but then you can easily become liberated from the suffering. For example, it happened before, when a plane crashed for example, one and two people survived it miraculously; or when there was an earthquake, one survived it, and so on. And so, within this misfortune, one finds some kind of protection. Or, for example, when you are sick you might receive some beneficial medicine, or, if you are poor you might receive some wealth. So, something will come to rescue, to help you, if you have confessed in your previous life. But if you have done the same negative action and have not confessed with regret in the past life, then there will be nothing that can be done to help you. For example, even a king protected by guards will be assassinated, if he had not performed confession with regret of his negative action. That is why it is good to actually receive the empowerment. When you receive the empowerment of course you should have the intention I will keep the Samaya. But even if it happens that you break the Samaya, you should confess with regrets. So it is actually important to receive the empowerment.

Within the Vajrayana, the most important, the most crucial, Samaya that we hold is that Samaya between our Vajra brothers and sisters, our Vajra siblings. That is the most delicate, the most crucial, the most important Samaya that we hold. Those Vajra brothers and sisters are all those disciples, all those beings with whom we are together to receive empowerment, together receive dharma teachings, or together receive refuge vows and so on. That is the most crucial Samaya to keep, even more so than with our parents and spouses and so on. That is because with them, together, we have taken a commitment, a bond from now on or until attaining enlightenment. So, this lifeline between us is a bond—that is, the bond of Bodhicitta, or love.   And that is broken if we get angry at them. When we took those vows together, the other disciples also repeated those vows: 'Until attaining enlightenment, I’ll not give up Bodhicitta', for example. Likewise, together with them, we have said the same thing. Therefore, if we get angry at them, and especially if we get angry at the Vajra master, that is a very destructive fault. That is because we are creating the causes of happiness by taking this vow. And the actual cause of happiness is love and compassion—that is the wish to benefit others, that is, in particular those Vajra siblings, the dharma brothers and sisters that we have taken vows and so on with together. So that is certainly important to understand, to keep in mind.

[Recitation in Tibetan, followed by English:]

Guru, Great Protector, Supreme Vajra family, and the rest, pleases heed me. We will take great care so as not to stray from your instruction and Samaya. We will practice prudently and with great joy. With your kindness, please accept us.

I will abide by your Vajra Samaya.

The ultimate Samaya, the Vajrayana, the secret mantra, is ideally to recognize the view, the nature of mind, and then to remain within that, without distraction. Those who’ve not recognized the nature of mind and do not abide within it, the most important Samaya is to sustain love and compassion. And that is like a golden chain. It can break. The links can disconnect. The chain can break. But we can easily also fix it, fix it by performing confession, regretting our transgressions continuously day and night, feeling regretful about our transgressions, and always regarding love and compassion as very precious. I always mention that. Milarepa said the cause of falling to the lower realms is hatred; therefore, practice patience even at the cost of your life. So especially practice patience towards those companions that always surround you, that are always with you, your day-to-day companions.   So the most important Samaya is to be patient with those companions.

Now we will take a tea break for twenty minutes, and then we continue with the empowerment.

All the deities are actually the same. It is said that within the expanse of primordial wisdom, all the deities are one. A sign that they are one is that all the deities are marked with syllables: 'OM AH HUM'. At the forehead is the white Om; at the throat the red Ah; at the heart the blue Hum. That shows that their body, speech, and mind are the same. And then, on the outer level, they appear with different colors and implements, and so on, and that is due to the diverse enlightened activities that they have. But within, their mind is the same, the mind of Bodhicitta.   So they all are the embodiment of Bodhicitta. That is, they love all sentient beings, like a mother loves her only child. So on that level, they are the same. And that is the mind of all the Buddhas of the past, and that will be the commitment of the Buddhas in the future. It is the wish to benefit all sentient beings. From this love, all the Buddhas have appeared. Even in an ordinary example, for example, an animal like a cow, when the cow feeds the calf milk. It just flows naturally. The milk flows naturally through the power of the cow’s love for her child. The cow doesn’t make the milk; the cow doesn’t even know how to make the milk. But because of love, the milk just flows naturally.

Therefore, likewise, from the great love of all Buddhas’ minds, all the Universe, the five elements, and so on appear. Their pure lands, and so forth—all arise from Buddhas’ love. Some people say it is all created by a creator god. But the essence of that, actually, is ultimately all the same, because it arises all from love. Also, the elements arise from the great love of the Buddhas. So now, we should cultivate the wish to benefit sentient beings. Then our body transforms into the deities, speech into mantra, and the mind into Bodhicitta. So first, the mind must transform into Bodhicitta. Therefore, as we mention before, that is when we give rise to the wish to benefit sentient beings. When that wish arises, think that this mind that wishes to benefit sentient beings, transforms into a red “Shri” syllable, and then visualize this all the time, continuously. You can also visualize at the forehead the white Om, at the throat the red Ah, at the heart the blue Hum—radiating like rainbow lights. We do this visualization because it is a way for the mind to settle, to settle single-pointedly.

For some people it is more difficult to visualize so many syllables like Om Ah Hum and so on. So it is sufficient if you just visualize this one seed syllable. Normally you should visualize at the heart level, but, then, for those who practice the channels and winds practices, they can direct any visualization to the navel. The navel is actually the source seed of all the wind energies. So, if you visualize everything at the navel, it doesn’t contradict any of the other instructions of visualizing at the heart. So anything like Phowa, and so on, you can visualize at the navel, any kind of visualization. The navel is like the 'king', the royal seat of all the wind energies. So that is why we always visualize the Hum, and so on, at the navel; and then, we meditate. Although there are many different visualizations and syllables here, for now it is sufficient if you only focus on the red syllable 'Shri' at your navel. That has the nature of the Great Compassionate Mind. It has the nature of compassion and it is at your navel like a small fire-flame. Think just that it is there.

So there is 'Shri' at the navel, that has the nature of a little fire-flame.   Focus on that single-pointedly, until the end of the empowerment. Apart from that, there are many other different visualizations, but if you only focus on that, that is something that you can do more easily. So, then once you did that, you take the picture that you have received into your hands, look at it, and close your eyes; meditate and only focus on the syllable 'Shri' at your navel. Then later, at some point, I’ll ask you to open your eyes. Then open your eyes and, in that moment, look at this picture, the image, and then again close your eyes, and have this image appear in your mind. Even if the surrounding figures do not appear, it is most important that the central figure, the central deity appears. And actually, if only the color of the deity appears, it is sufficient. So then you can repeat that again and again when you later engage in practice. You look at the image, close your eyes and then an approximate image of the deity will appear in your mind. It will not stay, but there is no harm in that. It’s okay if it doesn’t stay. Sometimes it just flashes up in an instant. But at that moment, you should know that the deity has actually appeared in your mind. So that is what purifies the habitual imprints of form.

So then, regarding the shape of the syllable, the script, you can visualize it also, for example, in English script or in Chinese. That makes no difference. It is more difficult to visualize the various shapes, but what is more important than the shape is actually the sound. So just think that there is this sound of 'Shri', that has whichever shape, in English or Chinese and so on.   Most importantly, there is this ongoing awareness that there is this 'Shri' in the form of a pulsating, vibrating sound at your navel. But the shape of the script doesn’t make a difference.

Open your eyes and look at the image. Then again close your eyes. Repeat this again and again. Have the image again and again appear in your mind. Also, then later when you do your practice, have this image appear in your mind repeatedly. Then it becomes very powerful.

The deities that abide in space are reflected in this image here in the torma—that you can see in this image above the torma—that is like a mirror that reflects all the deities abiding in space. Think that from this image, from the deity in the image, first, white light radiates and dissolves into your forehead. That purifies the obscurations of your body. Then, it says the obscurations of the body are purified and you have obtained the form empowerment. You are empowered to practice taking all appearances as the body of the deity. As a result, you will accomplish the Nirmanakaya.

So then, we think that the sun in the sky is really far away. But then when you use a crystal—a fine crystal ball that collects the sunrays—and the sunrays shine on this crystal, it will create warmth. It will create heat. It is not actually the sun, but the sunlight that gathers in the crystal, and it creates heat. That is just like the blessings of the Buddhas. The Buddhas actually are not far away. We can access their blessings and they are actually connected to our own Buddha nature. So the mind of the deity, the disciples, and the Vajra master actually have the same mental continuum. The difference is like that between ice and water—[that is,] only due to a temporary stain. But we should think that actually the blessings of the Buddhas are very close to us.

Then, it says, the inconceivable red light radiates from the throat of Buddha Amitabha and dissolves into your throat.

You have obtained the speech empowerment, and you are empowered to practice taking all sounds as the speech of the deity. Verbal obscurations are purified and you will obtain the result of the Sambhogakaya. The next visualization: intense blue light radiates from the seed syllable at the heart of   Hayagriva and dissolves into your heart.

By this, the obscurations of mind are purified, and you have obtained the mind empowerment. You are empowered to practice taking all thoughts as the mind of the deity. As a result, you will accomplish Dharmakaya. Again, light rays of various colors radiate from the forms of the entire assembly of the deities, and dissolve into you.

Then it says here that obscurations are purified. Some might not understand what that actually means—purifying obscurations, or the habitual imprints in the mind. By this [empowerment] these habitual imprints are actually purified. For example, when you always think of the form of the deity, then the deity always appears in your mind. When the deity always appears in your mind, then you will even think of the deity when you are dreaming. Or whenever you close your eyes, the deity appears in your mind. And so, eventually at some point, the deity is always in your mind and you never forget about the deity. At that point, you will forget about your ordinary body. And when you forget about your ordinary body, this is the point at which you actually purify the habitual imprints of ordinary body.

Then, it is the same for sound. That is why it is very beneficial to always hear the sound of the mantra. We recite the mantra. If we always, all the time, hear the sound of the mantra, that will stop any kind of ordinary thoughts related to sound. For example, in relation to ordinary conversations, like harsh words or gossip, and things like that. So ordinary thoughts regarding sound will then stop. Normally, when we think about ordinary conversations, and gossip, and so on, that is what places this habitual imprint of speech into our mind—because the various worldly samsaric sounds of conversations, give rise in us to thoughts and emotions of attachment or aversion. For example, when we think about or hear about something nice, we are laughing; or when we hear about something miserable, we are crying, and so on. Therefore, when we hear the sound of the mantra, it brings an end to that. And hearing the sound of mantra is what actually purifies the habitual imprints of speech. When we grasp at those thoughts, ordinary speech and sounds, we are actually placing imprints into our mind. When the imprints of body and form and sound are purified, then the mind will remain naturally pure. Then no more imprints are placed in the mind. The mind remains just like pure water. Within that state, even if a thought arises, the thought just naturally dissolves back into that state. So that state is like hot water. When an ice block appears in hot water, it will immediately melt. So that is when the imprints have dissolved. However, at the time when we are placing imprints into our mind when we are thinking about various things regarding form and sound, then the mind again becomes like cold water. And so, if you put ice blocks in the cold water, it will freeze even colder. It will all freeze in the end. So this awareness, therefore, is very powerful. If you understand its power, you will actually want to engage in the practice.

By this, the combined obscurations of body, speech and mind have been purified—you have obtained the blessings of the enlightened body, speech and mind qualities and the four activities. These are the complete four empowerments.   If we have enlightened body, speech, and mind qualities and activities, from the qualities, activities actually arise. For example, if a person, through body speech and mind develops qualities, then he can engage in various activities. The activities come from these qualities. So then, the activity is to benefit sentient beings, and that is through manifesting first the Sambhogakaya emanations. Those tame sentient beings, those act for the benefit of beings with pure karmas. And then there are Nirmanakaya manifestations that benefit those of pure and impure karmas. Actually, those sentient beings who are to be tamed, are actually also Nirmanakaya, ultimately.

In actuality, there is nothing that exists that doesn't have the nature of the three kayas. Everything has the nature of the three kayas. The reason why we say that all sentient beings are Nirmanakaya is because they all possess Buddha nature. Only temporarily, due to the various karmic imprints of anger, attachment, and ignorance, they appear in various forms—in the hell realm, hungry ghost realm, animal realm, and so on. But the mind is the same—the Buddha nature of the person, of the deities, and of all of those beings is the same. They only appear in different ways due to some temporary conditions. So the ultimate nature of the mind, the Buddha nature, is like pure water. But if you take the water and flush it down the toilet, it becomes dirty, but it still has the same basis. It is just in a different condition.   Ultimately, however, their Buddha nature remains unchanging, like water remains water. So knowing that, you should understand that all beings actually have the potential to attain enlightenment, and that ultimately there is nothing that is actually impure. Everything is actually pure by nature.

Also today, my dharma friends, in conclusion, I am offering to you this little booklet of the Samantabhadra prayer [The Aspiration of Samantabhadra]. That actually is the common view of all the secret mantra, the Vajrayana, teachings, the teachings on the ultimate truth. This booklet contains three languages, Chinese, English, and Tibetan. We created this book with a lot of hard work. Also on the first page, there’s an image of the deity, Samantabhadra, and over this image there is [superimposed] a Bodhi leaf. That shows, actually, how the channels are pervading one’s body. That is a good example of that. We printed it in different languages, for example in Tibetan, so that you can ask your other teachers about it. This book is very precious. Also it represents the deities of Vajrayana that often appear in yab-yum aspect, for example, the Guhyasamaja-Avalokiteshvara form there’s also a consort. Why does that appear? In a samsaric sense, it is called Samsara because everything appears as a duality. There are Buddhas and sentient beings, self and others, male and female. So that is all our conventional way of viewing it, but actually, ultimately, it does not exist that way.   Self and others are indivisible, because within the mind, there is no such a duality. First, through the relative Bodhicitta, self-grasping diminishes, and then one can realize on the basis of that, the ultimate Bodhicitta, which is to realize that the mind is actually non-dual. It is a union of clarity and emptiness. So what the male and the female in union, the yab and the yum represents is: The clarity aspect is represented by the male, the yab, and the emptiness aspect is represented by the yum, the female. So that is an example of one’s own mind. It shows that one’s own mind is actually this non-dual union of clear emptiness and that it cannot be taken apart. It is indivisible. So that actually is the ultimate view of Vajrayana. So often people have doubts about images like that. That is just because they don't really understand the meaning. If you understand the meaning, then you will know that Samsara is this creation of a duality. Everything appears in a dualistic way, in a separated way. But actually, ultimately in reality, there is no such a duality within the mind. That is shown in this teaching in the booklet, the Samantabhadra prayer, so it is very precious. You can ask each other questions about that. You should study it well and read it every day. Also, it explains how the various deities have appeared, for example, the peaceful and the wrathful deities—the source from which they arise.

Then, the second thing I am offering to you is those blessing pills. You get this little pouch of blessing pills. Many of my older, senior disciples have already received that. So, if you already have that, please do not take one, because they are very rare. I am always distributing them. If you do not actually have one of those, then you should take one. I’m traveling to many different places; it is really very important that I am able to distribute this everywhere. So, if you already have one, then you do not have to take one again today. Actually this little pouch can last you for a whole year. You just need to take a little bit every day. It contains the blessings of all the four major lineages and I gather these blessings—all the different blessings from China, from Tibet, from India and so on. They are all included within these blessing pills, so that you will receive it when you will receive the blessings of the empowerment. Once you’ve received the empowerment, you are free to leave and rest.

It says, although this completes the four empowerments, there is an additional empowerment. This skull cup contains wisdom nectar which has the nature of Bodhicitta. It enters your throat and fills all the channels of your body, and the Samadhi of bliss-emptiness arises in your mind.

So this relates to the practice of the channels, winds, and drops and how the channels, winds and drops are of the nature of the three kayas. The channels are the seeds of the Nirmanakaya. The winds are the seeds of the Sambhogakaya. The drops are the seeds of the Dharmakaya. Actually the dutsi, the blessing, the nectar, actually is also related to one’s own channels and also the drops are connected to the nectar. So from a pure perspective, when the drops are purified, they become the cause of enlightenment. When they are in an impure state, then they become the basis of Samsara. But these qualities of the kayas are complete within one’s own body. And so then the blessing pills also arise from this nature. These blessing pills are the single medicine that cure a hundred illnesses. Especially, they purify, they cure, the karmic illnesses—afflictions are reduced and love and compassion increases. And if you seal them with the mind of emptiness and compassion, then they become also the seeds, the cause of awakening—the seeds of three kayas within your channels, winds, and drops.

This empowerment is conferred based on this mirror. It represents the reflection, the arising of great bliss. Through one’s own channels and elements in the body, great bliss appears in one’s body and also mind. One realizes the nature of mind. One sees that actually this great bliss is a quality that is inherent. That is one’s own nature. One’s own nature is great bliss. It is the great bliss that becomes apparent when there are no thoughts, no thinking in the mind. Normally we think that bliss arises due to various outer conditions. But actually, when you see the nature of mind, you know that bliss is actually the nature of your own mind—it doesn’t come from outside. So then you realize the empty nature of bliss. You realize that self and others are indivisible, because the mind is like space, and within space there’s no duality. So, within the rising of great bliss, you can realize emptiness, and within emptiness, you realize clarity. Milarepa had said that, 'when bliss arises, within this state of bliss, I found emptiness; within this empty, blissful nature, I found clarity.' So that is the clear and empty nature of the mind that is like space. When you realize that, you realize that self and others do not exist. They are indivisible. Realizing non-duality is the state of enlightenment.

When you abide within the state of awareness, the natural state of the mind single-pointedly, you understand that the mind is empty like space. It is the basis of arising of all phenomena in Samara and Nirvana. When you realize the space is like nature of the mind, then you realize that the mind of all sentient beings in the three realms of Samsara and one’s own mind have the same essence. Or, in the Samantabhadra prayer, this is referred to as the single basis of Buddhas and sentient beings. But there are two paths and two fruitions. In order to realize the ultimate truth, the Samantabhadra prayer is very important. So that’s what I’m offering to you today, and later you should continue to read it and practice it. If you do not have anything else to practice—if you only practice this—it is sufficient. The 37 Bodhisattva practices and the Samtabhadra prayer actually include the all of the teachings on the Buddha’s two truths. By learning the 37 practices, we understand the relative truth. And by reading the Samtantabhadra prayer, we can realize the ultimate truth.

The example here is a mirror or a crystal, especially the crystal. On the outer level, many things appear. There is the entire outer universe, the whole world and all the sentient beings and so on, as many appearances. But how can we understand that they are all from a single basis? All the sentient beings of the three realms and your own mind have a single basis. We can understand that when we look at this crystal. For example, when the sun shines on the crystal, then the room is filled with rainbow lights. So, a samsaric sentient being will think that the rainbow light is detached from crystal, is separate from the crystal. But someone who understands how it really is, knows that the rainbow light emerges from the crystal. So they understand that whatever appears is the natural reflection of one’s own mind. For example, if you have two light bulbs and two lamps, the nature of the lamps—a

that light—is the same. The single basis is the light; the light is the same.   Temporarily, there’s an appearance of two separate lamps. But, when you look at your mind, then you see that actually, when it comes to the mind, the mind of the other person and my own mind have a single basis, just like the light. And only due to different temporary conditions, Samsara appears in different ways. It is because we hold on to a self, where actually there is no self—that is what creates Samsara. On the basis of that, many thoughts of attachment and aversion arise. But when that notion of self is purified, you realize how things really are ultimately, that they are actually non-dual. And, actually, only understanding that is already a great merit. So we can understand that based on the example of the crystal and the rainbow. Although the rainbow lights emerge from the crystal, it actually is not separate from the crystal.   This is how a beginning practitioner can slowly begin to understand non-duality and how things actually are the natural reflections of one’s own mind. Many of the practitioners already know that. If you know that, then you should habitually meditate on that continuously. Meditate on that non-duality continuously, over and over again. When you always rest within this non-dual state of mind, then all the thoughts that arise will naturally settle back into that state of the mind, just dissolve. So here, meditation practice is crucial.

Think that from the assembly of deities who abide in space, the blessings of their body, speech, and mind descends in the form of seed syllables from which rainbow light colors emerge, red light and blue and so on, all shower down like rain drops. These rainbow-colored rain drops then dissolve into the entire universe of all sentient beings. Then think that all the males become Chenrezig, and the females have become Tara. All beings have given rise to Bodhicitta and their self-grasping has diminished. They have actualized their Buddha nature. When you come up to receive the empowerment, we will recite the Mani mantra. So, then, please come up one by one to receive the blessing of the empowerment.

With that we have received the transmission of the essence of the Five Dhyani Buddhas, of Amitayus, of the eight male Bodhisattvas, eight female Bodhisattvas, the six Buddhas, and the 1,000 Buddhas of this fortunate eon. All of these Buddhas are complete within the mandala of the Great Compassionate One.

It says that when you have received the empowerment, it is like you are becoming a prince, like the child of a King. That’s because we possess Buddha nature. But if we do not receive the empowerment, even though we still are the prince, we become sort of the ghost-prince, drinking and smoking. So that is of no benefit, even though we are the prince. This is also explained in the benefits of bodhicitta when we take the Bodhisattva vow, [with] the example of the prince and the king. Whether or not we become a king basically depends on whether or not we give rise to bodhicitta. If we do not give rise to bodhicitta, then we wander in Samsara. If we give rise to bodhicitta, we attain enlightenment. That is the essence of the 37 Bodhisattva practices, that have really pervaded the world through the kindness of his holiness Dalai Lama and many spiritual teachers. In there only one word explains it all to us. It says that all suffering without exception comes from wishing for one’s own happiness; the perfect Buddhas arise from one’s altruistic mind. So the root of all suffering is self-grasping. That is most important in whichever path you enter, whether it is the Prātimokṣa, Bodhisattva, or Vajrayana path.

The result of all these paths also is the same. It is to cultivate bodhicitta. So bodhicitta is the essence of the 84,000 dharma teachings. And therefore, it also constitutes the actual samaya. Apart from that, you keep whatever samayas you can. But what is most important is to keep the samaya of bodhicitta. And within that, the most important is to cultivate love, especially for your parents, your teachers, your spiritual teachers, and most importantly your country. If you really think about the kindness of your country, you can’t help but give arise to bodhicitta, because without this country how would we have any roads, for example, who would build the schools? How many difficulties would people have without the country? Once you cultivate love for your country, then cultivate love for all the countries in the world. To just have a country itself is very precious. When you understand the preciousness of the country, then you will naturally also follow the laws. That will bring you happiness. You will respect the country. You will want to serve and work for the country. Then you will understand that this love really is the cause, the root, of our benefit and happiness. We call it the precious bodhicitta. That is really the heart essence of the three levels of the path. It is to give rise to love and compassion. And we cultivate love if we, again and again, remember the kindness of our parents, our teachers, our countries and so on. So therefore, as a commitment, as a samaya to accept, we will read the prayer to cultivate bodhicitta in English in our prayer book. After having done that, we can come up one by one to receive the empowerment. Actually we are very fortunate today that many spiritual teachers and masters have come here today. I am offering this empowerment together with them to you today. You are very fortunate to have them here today. Also as a result of this connection in the future, we will all attain enlightenment in the pure land together. So we will read this prayer that is on Page 16, the last verse.

Bodhicitta, the excellent and precious mind--

Where it is unborn, may it arise;

Where it is born, may it not decline,

But ever increase higher and higher.

~ 感謝 Yilei, Judy, Kaya, Hueymei, Spring & 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2020.07.08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！