The greatest achievement

The greatest achievement is selflessness.
The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with the world’s ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.
The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

Atisha (11th century Tibetan Buddhist master)

Benefits of Vajra Guru Mantra

The Vajra Guru Mantra is the mantra associated with Guru Rinpoche, also known as Padmasambhava.  This is a draft translation of a treasure text which explains the Vajra Guru Mantra.  It was originally concealed during the time of Padmasambhava in Tibet and later rediscovered by Karma Lingpa (14th century) who brought it forth from its place of concealment and copied it down on reams of gold.

It is simply known as “The Syllable by Syllable Commentary Explaining the Benefits of the Vajra Guru Mantra.”  It begins with an invocation and then goes into a dialogue between Yeshe Tsogyal, the spiritual consort of Padmasambhava, and Padmasambhava himself.

Yeshe Tsogyal:

In the future, sentient beings will have very short attention spans and a great many things will clutter and occupy their minds.  Their characters will be rough and difficult to tame.  They will develop many wrong views towards the sacred Dharma.  In particular, a time will come when people will cast dispersions on the Secret Mantra teaching of the unsurpassable levels of tantra.  At that time, all sentient beings will suffer heavily from disease, famine, and war.  Because of the spread of these three calamities, in particular, China, Tibet and Mongolia will experience the same kind of turmoil as an ant’s nest when it is destroyed, and the time will come for the people of Tibet to suffer greatly.

Though you have spoken at length of many skillful means to salvage what is possible from that situation, sentient beings in the future will not have the time to practice.  Even though they may have some slight inclination to practice, they will encounter many great obstacles.  Sentient beings will experience a great deal of disharmony.  They won’t be able to get along or reach any kind of accord, and in the wake of this, their behavior will become very impure.  Bad times such as this will be very difficult to avert.

That being the case, what kinds of benefits and advantages would there be for those beings in the future were they to rely solely upon the Vajra Guru Mantra as their practice?  I ask you to relate this for the benefit of individuals in the future who are not able to perceive this and therefore have to have it explained to them.

Pema Jungne replied:

Oh faithful lady, what you have said is so very true.  In the future, such times will befall sentient beings and both in a temporary and in a long term sense, the benefits of the Vajra Guru mantra can be definitely be felt.  Since my spiritual instructions and the methods of practice that I offer are immeasurable, I have hidden a great number of treasure teachings in the water, rocks, the sky and so forth.  In these evil times, even individuals with fortunate karma will find it difficult to encounter these teachings.  It will be difficult to bring together the necessary circumstances for these teachings to be revealed.  This is a sign that the collective merit of beings is on the wane.

However, at such times, if this essence mantra, the Vajra Guru mantra, is repeated as much as possible, a hundred times, a thousand times, ten thousand times, a hundred thousand times, a million, ten million, a hundred million times and so forth, if it is repeated in holy places, in temples, next to great rivers, in areas where gods and demons abound, if it is recited in these places by tantric practitioners with pure samaya, by people with monastic ordination who maintain their vows purely, by men and women who possess faith in the teachings, if they give rise to bodhicitta on a grand scale and recite this mantra, then the benefits and advantages and energy of such practice are truly inconceivable.

This will avert all of the negative forces of disease, famine, unrest, bad harvests and all bad omens and indications in all the countries of the world, such that the rain will fall in a timely manner for the crops so there will always be a plentiful supply of water for agriculture and for human and animal life, and all regions and areas will experience prosperity and auspicious conditions.

If you would like to download the Adobe file and read all this rare treasure text then click on:  The Syllable by Syllable Commentary discovered by terton Karma Lingpa.

Here is a sample of some of the benefits of the vajra guru mantra:

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

OM AH HUNG purify obscurations arising from the three mental poisons: desire/attachment, aversion, and ignorance
VAJRA purifies obscurations which stem from anger
GURU purifies obscurations which stem from pride
PEMA purifies obscurations which stem from desire/attachment
SIDDHI purifies obscurations which stem from envy/jealousy
HUNG in a general way purifies obscurations which stem from all emotional afflictions

OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG

Through OM AH HUNG one attains the three kayas
Through VAJRA one realizes mirror-like pristine awareness
Through GURU one realizes the pristine awareness of equalness
Through PEMA one realizes the pristine awareness of discernment
Through SIDDHI one realizes the all-accomplishing pristine awareness
Through HUNG one realizes the pristine awareness of basic space

The merits of accumulation:

Guru Rinpoche said, “If one recites the mantra three or seven million times, one is never separate from the buddhas of the three times and one becomes inseparable from me.  All the gods and demons of existence will attend to one and offer their praises.  In the most excellent cases, individuals will attain the rainbow body, and the final level of attainment in this lifetime.  On a more middling level, at the moment of death, the mother and child aspects of radiant luminosity will meet.  At the very least, individuals will behold my face in the bardo state…”

All the matter in the world

Padmasambhava Wylie: padma ‘byung gnas; Mongolian lovon Badmajunai, Chinese: (pinyin: Liánhuāshēng)

The Lotus Born, was a sage guru from Oddiyāna who is said to have transmitted Vajrayana Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet and neighboring countries in the 8th century.  In those lands he is better known as Guru Rinpoche (“Precious Guru”) or Lopon Rinpoche, or, simply, Padum in Tibet, where followers of the Nyingma school regard him as the second Buddha.

He said: “My father is the intrinsic awareness, Samantabhadra (Sanskrit; Tib. Kuntuzangpo).  My mother is the ultimate sphere of reality, Samantabhadri (Sanskrit; Tib. Kuntuzangmo).  I belong to the caste of non-duality of the sphere of awareness.  My name is the Glorious Lotus Born.  I am from the unborn sphere of all phenomena.  I consume concepts of duality as my diet.  I act in the way of the Buddhas of the three times.”

All the Matter in the World

by

Padmasambhava

All the matter of the world, living and not living,
Appear as objects to my eyes.
Let me rest in the appearance of things, without seeing them as things.
Empty clarity without fixation is the deity form.
I pray to my guru — naturally releasing empty appearance.

All the sounds of the world, pleasant or unpleasant,
Resound as objects in my ears.
Let me rest in silence in sound, inconceivable and inexpressible.
Silence in sound, without beginning or end, is the speech of the awakened.
I pray to my guru — naturally releasing sound-emptiness.

Whatever thoughts arise from the five poisons, emotional reactions,
Move as objects in my mind.
Let me rest, letting go of control, not awaiting or chasing them.
When I let movement settle naturally, it releases into true presence.
I pray to my guru — naturally releasing awareness.

This translation was made by Ken McLeod.

the genesis of confusion

Ever-present Good’s (1)

Prayer of Intention

Ho!  All experience, potential or actual, patterned or free, has one ground, two paths and two results.

It is the play of awareness and ignorance. Through this prayer of Ever-present Good may everyone come to full and complete awakening in the palace of the realm of totality:

The ground of everything is not made of anything.  In this indescribable naturally present expanse there are not even the concepts of patterned or free.  Know this and you are awake.  Do not know this and you are a sentient being wandering in samsara.

May all beings in the three realms know the indescribable ground.  I, Ever-present Good, am the ground, without genesis or conditioning.  I am ground natural awareness — what is.  Internal and external distortions do not touch me.  The stupor of mindlessness does not conceal me.  Projections do not contaminate me.

As awareness itself is resting naturally, I experience no fear, even if the three worlds are destroyed.  I experience no longing for the five sensory pleasures.  In natural non-conceptual awareness neither solid form nor the five poisons are present.  The five aspects of pristine awareness are all present in the unceasing clarity that is awareness.

From the ripening of the five aspects of pristine awareness the five families of original buddhas arise. Through the further expansion of pristine awareness the forty-two buddhas arise.  Through the dynamism of the five aspects of pristine awareness the sixty blood-drinkers arise.

Ground awareness is never confused.  Because I am the original buddha, through my intention beings in samsara’s three realms recognize natural awareness. Thus, may great pristine awareness be complete.  My expressions arise continuously, radiating in inconceivable trillions of forms, teaching in different ways all who are to be trained.

Through my compassionate prayer of intention may all beings in samsara’s three realms rise out of existence as the six kinds of beings.  First, for confused beings Ground awareness does not arise.  That blankness, in which there is no idea of anything, is the genesis of confusion and ignorance.

Suddenly, from that unconsciousness a terrified and unclear knowing stirs. From that, I and then other, the enemy, arise.  Through the momentum of patterned propensities samsara unfolds in its usual way.  The five poisons, the reactive emotions, spread.  Reactions based on the five poisons just go on and on. Therefore, since the basis of confusion in beings is mindless ignorance, through my awakened intention may they all recognize awareness itself.

Naturally inherent ignorance is a distracted mindless knowing.  Ignorance that conceptualizes everything is a holding of self and other as two.  The two ignorances, inherent and conceptual, are the ground of confusion in all beings. Through my awakened intention may all beings in samsara wake up from their thick mindless stupor.  May their dualistic fixation become transparent.  May they recognize the nature of awareness.

Dualistic thinking is doubt.  When the slightest attraction forms, habituated tendencies grow increasingly stronger.  Food, wealth, clothing, places, companions, the five sensory pleasures and loving families — attraction to the pleasant torments beings:  This is the confusion of the world.  Dualistic actions have no end.

When attraction’s fruit ripens, they become hungry ghosts, tormented by craving – wretched in their hunger and thirst.  Through my awakened intention may all beings who yearn and want neither avoid the discomfort of desire nor act on the yearning or want.  When they let knowing relax in its natural place awareness also finds its natural place.  May they attain distinguishing pristine awareness.

When an object appears externally, a subtle fear-ridden knowing arises. Habituated tendencies of aversion grow and hatred, violence, and murder arise. When aversion’s fruit ripens, oh, the scalding burning pain of hell!  Through my awakened intention when strong aversion arises in any being in the six states, may they let it be, without doing anything with it.  As awareness finds its own place, may they attain the pristine awareness of clarity.

When they are all puffed up with pride they become competitive and critical of others and aggressively arrogant.  Disputes with others cause them to suffer. When the fruit of those actions ripens they become gods and experience death and downfall.  Through my awakened intention may beings inflated with self-importance let knowing relax in its own place. As awareness finds its own place, may they know the meaning of balance directly.

The habituated tendencies that reinforce dualism lead to the pain of self-praise and criticism of others.  They become increasingly quarrelsome and cutthroat, Titans, slashing and killing, and as a result, fall into the hell realms.  Through my awakened intention may all who are quarrelsome and competitive stop their hostility and relax where they are.  As knowing finds its own place, may they attain the pristine awareness of effective action.

Distracted by mindless indifference they are dull, depressed and forgetful. Oblivious, lazy and confused, they wander like animals without a home. Through my awakened intention may the light of clear attention shine in the darkness of dull confusion.  May they attain non-conceptual pristine awareness.

In all beings of the three realms the basis of everything is the same as in me and all buddhas.  It became the ground of mindless confusion.  Now, they engage in meaningless actions.  The six actions are like the confusion of dreams.  I am the original Buddha.  I give rise to this intention of Ever-present Good, so that I take form and teach the six kinds of beings.  May all beings wake up to the totality of experience.

Ah ho!

From now on, whenever a contemplative forms this powerful intention from the natural clarity of unconfused awareness, all beings who hear it will be fully awake within three lives.  When the sun or moon is seized by Rahu (2),

This prayer is taken from the ninth chapter of The Tantra that Teaches Transparently the Vision of the Great Completion Ever-present Good, which says that when this intention is sincerely formed, all beings have no choice but to become fully awake.  This translation was made by Ken McLeod.

1. Sanskrit: Samantabhadra; Tibetan: kun.tu.bzang.po (pronounced Kuntu-zangpo). Ever-present Good is the original buddha in the dzogchen tradition. Good, in this context, is the good beyond such concepts of good and evil. The text is written in the first person, so that you read this prayer feeling that you are Ever-present Good (which you are but may not know so right now).

2. Rahu is the mythical planet or monster that causes eclipses by swallowing the sun and the moon.

Two ways of growing

Thirty Pieces of Sincere Advice

by

Longchenpa

From the infinite sky of your pristine awareness, the totality of experience, and the great clouds of your aspirations and prayers  warm rays of compassion and showers of elixir stream down, ripening the three forms (1) in the fields, your students’ minds.  I bow to you, my teacher, my protector, supreme among the Three Jewels.  With stronger aspirations I might have joined the practice lineage.  I didn’t make the effort and now enter the twilight of a meaningless life.

I intended to follow the ancient masters, but I’ve given up and I see others like me. 

So, I’ll outline these thirty pieces of sincere advice to evoke some determination in me:

Too bad!  You’ve built up a large following, one way or another.
You look after a large institution where all the right conditions are present.
But it’s all just a basis for conflict and ideas like “This is mine.”
Live alone – that’s my sincere advice.

In public ceremonies you heal children or subdue demons.
You give your capabilities away to the crowd.
Because you really want food and money, your own needs cloud your judgment.
Tame your own mind – that’s my sincere advice.

You collect a lot of pledges from the poor
And use them to build big monuments, help the needy, and so on.
The good works you do cause others to live badly.
Goodness must be in your mind – that’s my sincere advice.

You’ve taught the Dharma to others because you wanted to be famous.
You cleverly keep a large circle of admirers around you.
To take these to be real is the seed of pride.
Limit your projects – that’s my sincere advice.

You earn money by trading, charging interest, cheating or other dishonest ways.
Although you make large offerings with your accumulated wealth,
Good actions based on greed lead to the eight conventional concerns (2).
Cultivate non-attachment – that’s my sincere advice.

Although you think you’re serving the welfare of beings
By acting as a guarantor, witness or advocate to help settle others’ disputes,
Your own opinions will inevitably assert themselves.
Don’t be concerned – that’s my sincere advice.

Your political power, wealth, connections, good fortune and reputation
May spread all over the world.
When you die, these things will not help you at all.
Work at your practice – that’s my sincere advice.

Managers, assistants, directors, and such
Provide the infrastructure for both communities and religious institutions.
But your involvement in such matters gives rise to worry and concern.
Limit your business – that’s my sincere advice.

You take what you need, images, offerings,
Books, cooking gear, whatever, and stay in solitude.
Right now you have it all together but later difficulties and disputes arise.
Don’t need anything – that’s my sincere advice.

In these difficult times you may feel that it is helpful
To be sharp and critical with aggressive people around you.
This approach will just be a source of distress and confusion for you.
Speak calmly – that’s my sincere advice.

Intending to be helpful and without personal investment,
You tell your friends what is really wrong with them.
You may have been honest but your words gnaw at their heart.
Speak pleasantly – that’s my sincere advice.

You engage in discussions, defending your views and refuting others’
Thinking that you are clarifying the teachings.
But this just gives rise to emotional posturing.
Keep quiet – that’s my sincere advice.

You feel that you are being loyal
By being partial to your teacher, lineage or philosophical tradition.
Boosting yourself and putting down others just cause hard feelings.
Have nothing to do with all this – that’s my sincere advice.

As you carefully go over the teachings you’ve studied
You may think that picking out others’ mistakes is real understanding.
You will just build up a lot of negative fixations.
Keep your perception clear – that’s my sincere advice.

Mindless talk of emptiness ignores causation.
You may think the ultimate teaching is that there is nothing to do,
But when you stop the two ways of growing (3), your practice will wither.
Cultivate these two together – that’s my sincere advice.

You think that you will enhance your practice by taking a partner
And transforming sexual energy in the context of the third empowerment,
But the path of non-retention has snared many great meditators.
Keep to the natural path – that’s my sincere advice.

Giving empowerments to those who aren’t ready,
Or even distributing sacred materials in large gatherings,
Leads to abuse and causes commitments to be broken.
Be precise – that’s my sincere advice.

You may think that you practice deliberate behavior (4)
By going naked in public and shocking people in other ways.
Such actions just cause ordinary people not to trust the Dharma.
Be impeccable – that’s my sincere advice.

You work at being ethical, learned, and noble
So that you will be the best person in your district.
But from this peak you can only fall to a lower status.
Be moderate – that’s my sincere advice.

Wherever you live, in towns, spiritual communities or in isolation,
Don’t seek out special friends.
Don’t be close or at odds with anyone, no matter who is around.
Be independent – that’s my sincere advice.

Maybe you appear deferential and appreciative
To your faithful supporters who provide you with your livelihood,
But in deceiving others you only entangle yourself.
Treat everyone equally – that’s my sincere advice.

Countless books on divination, astrology, medicine and other subjects
Describe ways to read signs. They do add to your learning,
But they generate new thoughts and your stable attention breaks up.
Cut down on this kind of knowledge – that’s my sincere advice.

You stop arranging your usual living space,
But make everything just right for your retreat.
This makes little sense and just wastes time.
Forget all this – that’s my sincere advice.

You make an effort at practice and become a good and knowledgeable person.
You may even master some particular capabilities.
But whatever you attach to will tie you up.
Be unbiased and know how to let things be – that’s my sincere advice.

You may think awakened activity means to subdue skeptics
By using sorcery, directing or warding off hail or lightning, for example.
But to burn the minds of others will lead you to lower states.
Keep a low profile – that’s my sincere advice.

Maybe you collect a lot of important writings,
Major texts, personal instructions, private notes, whatever.
If you haven’t practiced, books won’t help you when you die.
Look at the mind – that’s my sincere advice.

When you focus on practice, to compare understandings and experience,
Write books or poetry, to compose songs about your experience
Are all expressions of your creativity. But they just give rise to thinking.
Keep yourself free from intellectualization – that’s my sincere advice.

When a thought arises, the key is to look right at it.
When you know about mind, the key is to be right there.
Although there isn’t anything to cultivate, the key is to keep cultivating.
Keep yourself free of distraction – that’s my sincere advice.

Act from emptiness knowing the effects of your actions.
When you understand not doing, observe the three vows (5).
With non-referential compassion work to help beings
Keep the two ways of growing inseparable – that’s my sincere advice.

I’ve studied with many learned and masterful teachers and received their profound instruction.
I’ve read some profound sutras and tantras and understood a little of them.
But I don’t practice what I know. It’s too bad. I just fool myself.
So, for me and those like me I offer these thirty pieces (6) of sincere advice.

May the good from writing these verses with this attitude of determination
Guide all beings out of the desolation of existence and bring them great joy.
May we follow the way of the buddhas of the three times, their followers and the ancient masters, And become their great and powerful offspring as well.

Thirty Pieces of Sincere Advice was written by Tsultrim Lodru out of some slight feelings of determination. Ken McLeod translated this work because it spoke to him.

Footnotes

1. The three forms (three kayas) are the form of what is (dharmakaya), the form of enrichment (sambhogakaya) and the form of manifestation (nirmanakaya).
2. Pleasure and pain, gain and loss, praise and blame, fame and obscurity.
3. The two ways of growing are through goodness and through pristine awareness.
4. A discipline in vajrayana in which you directly test the depth of your understanding.
5. The vows associated with individual liberation (the five precepts and monastic ordination), the bodhisattva vow, and the vajrayana vows.
6. There are actually only twenty-nine verses of advice. I don’t know whether this is due to a corrupt Tibetan text or, as is often the case, the whole work is counted as one, too.

Yuli the Holy Book

At that time, Buddha Sakyamuni asked Bodhisattva Manjushri, Mahasattva, “Do you know how many Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts and gods from other lands and worlds are here in the Trayastrimsa Heaven for this instruction?” 

 

Manjushri answered, “World Honored One, even using my divine power for thousands of aeons, I still would not be able to calculate how many are here.”  Buddha Sakyamuni said to Manjushri, “Even if I use my Buddha eye, I too cannot calculate them.  These multitudes include all whom Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha has released, is releasing, and will release from suffering.  That is, these multitudes include all living beings who live in the past, present and future!”

 

Manjushri said to Buddha, “World Honored One, I have long cultivated good roots and have acquired extensive and profound wisdom.  So, as soon as I hear anything the Buddha says, I understand and believe it immediately. However, other living beings may doubt Buddha’s sincere words.  They might believe them temporarily but they cannot hold the words in their hearts, and will begin to doubt them and then criticize them, I hope the World Honored One can provide more detailed information about Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, Mahasattva, and tell us what this Bodhisattva did.”  ~ Ksitigarbha Great Vows sutra

 

From Yuli the Holy Book:

Feng Du Da Di said: `Lord Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva wants to deliver all the ghosts residing in the nether world. He does not want to see all human beings who have done bad deeds to descend to the nether world and suffer all kinds of punishment.  Therefore, he has given all of us the permission to condone and reduce the sentences as the case may be, for those who really repented on what they had done while they were alive.

All the implementation guidelines have been submitted by the nether gods to the Jade Emperor.  Jade Emperor has also given consent that they should be recorded in Yuli – The Holy Book and be circulated and implemented in the mortal world at once.

However, to-date, the book is still not released to the mortal world, as nobody of great virtue has been found.  Today, I have found the right person – Dan Chi, who is standing over there.  I am going to entrust him with the task.  Kindly compile all the quotations and copy them into Yuli – The Holy Book at once.′

It was rather difficult to find this text translated properly into English.  So I took it upon myself to correct the typos, edit the grammatical errors, and reformat the text for an easier read.  It is 18 pages as an Adobe .pdf file.   If you wish to read the whole book composed by Dan Chi, a poor but virtuous Chinese cultivator from the 11th century then click on the link:  Yuli – the Holy Book

 

UPDATE:  This version is ideal for reprinting purposes:  Yuli – print version

 

Here is a short video (3:46) I created to inspire everyone to increase their positive virtues and meritorious actions:

Entrance into nonduality

One of the most interesting Mahasiddhas in the ancient Buddhist scriptures is Vimalakīrti.  By definition, a Mahasiddha is someone who is abiding on the tenth-bhumi level.  If you ever have a chance to read more about him you will learn, in detail, how such a bodhisattva operates beyond the limitations of the conventional mind.

Vimalakirti is a Mahayanist lay-practitioner and a contemporary of Gautama Buddha.  What separates him from the strict monks who have renounced the world is that he is an extremely wealthy person.  Yet, he is considered to be very honorable and impeccable in both the business and spiritual worlds.

At this particular time, he has taken on the sickness of others.  When the ruler of the region and various officials and others visit him to pay their respects, he takes the opportunity to expound dharma teachings.

When Shakyamuni Buddha learns of the situation, he asks each of his ten major monk disciples to visit Vimalakirti to inquire about his illness.  But each one declines to do so, each citing a past incident where he was rebuked for some deficiency in his understanding of dharma.  The same is repeated with various great celestial bodhisatvas, until Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, finally agrees.

From the Vimalakirti sutra:

The bodhisattva Parigudha declared, “‘Self’ and ‘selflessness’ are dualistic. Since the existence of self cannot be perceived, what is there to be made ‘selfless’? Thus, the nondualism of the vision of their nature is the entrance into nonduality.”

The bodhisattva Vidyuddeva declared, “‘Knowledge’ and ‘ignorance’ are dualistic. The natures of ignorance and knowledge are the same, for ignorance is undefined, incalculable, and beyond the sphere of thought. The realization of this is the entrance into nonduality.”

The bodhisattva Candrottara declared, “‘Darkness’ and ‘light’ are dualistic, but the absence of both darkness and light is nonduality. Why? At the time of absorption in cessation, there is neither darkness nor light, and likewise with the natures of all things. The entrance into this equanimity is the entrance into nonduality.”

The bodhisattva Manikutaraja declared, “It is dualistic to speak of good paths and bad paths. One who is on the path is not concerned with good or bad paths. Living in such unconcern, he entertains no concepts of ‘path’ or ‘nonpath.’ Understanding the nature of concepts, his mind does not engage in duality. Such is the entrance into nonduality.”

The bodhisattva Satyarata declared, “It is dualistic to speak of ‘true’ and ‘false.’ When one sees truly, one does not ever see any truth, so how could one see falsehood? Why? One does not see with the physical eye, one sees with the eye of wisdom. And with the wisdom-eye one sees only insofar as there is neither sight nor nonsight. There, where there is neither sight nor nonsight, is the entrance into nonduality.”

When the bodhisattvas had given their explanations, they all addressed the crown prince Manjusri: “Manjusri, what is the bodhisattva’s entrance into nonduality?”

Manjusri replied, “Good sirs, you have all spoken well. Nevertheless, all your explanations are themselves dualistic. To know no one teaching, to express nothing, to say nothing, to explain nothing, to announce nothing, to indicate nothing, and to designate nothing – that is the entrance into nonduality.”

Then the crown prince Manjusri said to the Licchavi Vimalakirti, “We have all given our own teachings, noble sir. Now, may you elucidate the teaching of the entrance into the principle of nonduality!”

Thereupon, the Licchavi Vimalakirti kept his silence, saying nothing at all.

The crown prince Manjusri applauded the Licchavi Vimalakirti: “Excellent! Excellent, noble sir! This is indeed the entrance into the nonduality of the bodhisattvas. Here there is no use for syllables, sounds, and ideas.”

When these teachings had been declared, five thousand bodhisattvas entered the door of the Dharma of nonduality and attained tolerance of the birthlessness of things.

Being inspired by the above greatness of Vimalakirit’s ‘diamond-like samadhi’ we may inquire how do we reach that level.  Well, there are many dharma doors to liberation.  The Buddha declared that there are literally 84,000 such methods to liberation.

Many of us realize that we live in a present-day world that is filled with even more deceptive attractions than in the past.  Since grasping is naturally stronger in people, we need a powerful method to overcome these negative forces.

Zen Meditation:

Here’s a helpful tip for the modern seeker.  When you grasp at the things that you desire very badly, notice how your breathing becomes disruptive.

Do you notice how your breath is most likely shallow or tight, right now?

Years ago, I came across a very potent meditation that you can derive a lot of benefit from if worked on seriously.  Its method was created by the Zennist and he states:

“To recollect that which is most antecedent to the in breath and out breath means that you must tune into that which is prior to the entire breathing cycle itself.

Just as the hand which lifts a staff is not part of the staff, likewise the antecedent recollection is not a part of your breathing.

As a practical illustration, you must recollect the antecedent as you breathe in and breathe out.  If the breathing is long or short, labored or otherwise, you must focus on the antecedent so that breathing follows after it.”

Take some time to investigate this form of meditative analysis.  Since the breath is so closely related to our own survival (which reinforces the concept of a self) it is a very good method to utilize.

Good luck,
Neo

When things fall apart

One of the key and essential books that changed my life was a book called When Things Fall Apart written by Pema Chodron.  She was a student of the late Chogyam Trungpa and writes with a great deal of clarity on all topics of the dharma.  Utilizing the dharma principles, she effectively explains how to deal with all the difficult trials and tribulations we face in daily life.

You can click on the image to get to the Amazon website to review the book in more detail.

I remember long ago reading all the self-help books I could find on how to be persuasive when dealing with interpersonal conflicts.  The toughest individuals were the ones that were the most aggressive and could care less how you felt.  They would always have a counter-argument that would tear apart the great principals put forth by Dale Carnegie such as “Focus on the problem, not the person”.

So, when I came across the concept of “Mirror-like wisdom” and understood it, I never had a problem when dealing with difficult people.  All the resentment from my past faded away.

The next time I had a confrontation with another person; it was easy to be a relaxed witness to whatever was unfolding.  To understand that this angry person in front of me was an actual “reflection of your mind” is quite profound.

I truly wish that more people in the psychological field will be able to use this understanding for the benefit of ALL their clients.

All the best,
Neo

The Shurangama sutra

It has been said that: “In this (the Dharma Ending) age, the Dharma will disappear.  The first Sutra to disappear will be the Shurangama Sutra.  That is why those who study the Buddhadharma should first investigate the Shurangama Sutra.  As long as someone understands this Sutra, the Buddhadharma will not become extinct.”

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Furthermore, “As long as there is someone who can recite the Shurangama mantra (which is part of the Sutra), the demon-kings, the heavenly demons and followers of externalist teachings will not dare to come into the world to play their tricks and to make trouble.  The Shurangama Mantra is the most miraculous mantra for helping the world.  The Shurangama Sutra is the primary Sutra which protects and supports the Orthodox Dharma.” — Ronald B. Epstein, Ph.D

An excerpt from this sutra: 

The Buddha told Ananda, “You constantly hear me explain in the Vinaya that there are three unalterable aspects to cultivation. That is, collecting one’s thoughts constitutes the precepts; from the precepts comes samadhi; and out of samadhi arises wisdom. Samadhi arises from precepts, and wisdom is revealed out of samadhi. These are called the Three Non-Outflow Studies.”

“Ananda, why do I call collecting one’s thoughts the precepts? If living beings in the six paths of any mundane world had no thoughts of lust, they would not have to follow a continual succession of births and deaths.

“Your basic purpose in cultivating is to transcend the wearisome defilements. But if you don’t renounce your lustful thoughts, you will not be able to get out of the dust.

“Even though one may have some wisdom and the manifestation of Chan samadhi, one is certain to enter demonic paths if one does not cut off lust. At best, one will be a demon king; on the average, one will be in the retinue of demons; at the lowest level, one will be a female demon.

“These demons have their groups of disciples. Each says of himself that he has accomplished the Unsurpassed Way.

“After my extinction, in the Dharma-ending Age, these hordes of demons will abound, spreading like wildfire as they openly practice greed and lust. Claiming to be good knowing advisors, they will cause living beings to fall into the pit of love and views and lose the way to Bodhi.

“When you teach people in the world to cultivate samadhi, they must first of all sever the mind of lust. This is the first clear and unalterable instruction on purity given by the Thus Come Ones and the Buddhas of the past, World Honored Ones.

“Therefore, Ananda, if cultivators of Chan samadhi do not cut off lust, they will be like someone who cooks sand in the hope of getting rice. After hundreds of thousands of aeons, it will still be just hot sand. Why? It wasn’t rice to begin with; it was only sand.

“If you seek the Buddha’s wonderful fruition and still have physical lust, then even if you attain a wonderful awakening, it will be based in lust. With lust at the source, you will revolve in the three paths and not be able to get out. Which road will you take to cultivate and be certified to the Thus Come One’s Nirvana?

“You must cut off the lust which is intrinsic in both body and mind. Then get rid of even the aspect of cutting it off. At that point you have some hope of attaining the Buddha’s Bodhi.

“What I have said here is the Buddha’s teaching. Any explanation counter to it is the teaching of Papiyan.

The Tripitaka Master Venerable Hsuan Hua says:

“In Buddhism all the sutras are very important, but the Sūrangama Sūtra is most important.  Wherever the Sūrangama Sūtra is, the Proper Dharma abides in the world.  When the Sūrangama Sūtra is gone, that is a sign of the Dharma Ending Age.  In the Extinction of the Dharma Sutra it says that in the Dharma Ending Age, the Sūrangama Sūtra will become extinct first.  Then gradually the other sutras will also become extinct.  The Sūrangama Sūtra is the true body of the Buddha; the sarīra (relics) of the Buddha; the stūpa of the Buddha.”

blessings,
Neo